GIFT   OF 


Your  Sister  in  the  King's  Glad  Service 


This  Is  That 


Personal  Experiences 
Sermons  and 


Writings 


—  OF  — 


AIMEE  SEMPLE  MCPHERSON 

EVANGELIST 


The   Bridal   Call   Publishing   House 
125-125  MJ   South   Spring  St.,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


PJC# 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Acts  2:16-18. 


THIS  IS  THAT  which  was  spoken  by  the  Prophet 
Joel:  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in 
the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  of  my  Spirit 
upon  all  flesh;  and  your  sons  and  daughters  shall 
prophesy  .  .  .  and  upon  my  servants  and  my 
handmaidens  I  will  pour  out,  in  those  days,  of  My 
Spirit;  and  they  shall  prophesy." 


,-1  A  f>  /i 


COPIES     OF     THIS     BOOK 
MAY  BE  OBTAINED  FROM 

AIMEE   SEMPLE   McPHBESON 

125^     So.     Spring    St.,. 
Los  ANGELES,  CAL. 


COPYRIGHTED  JUNE,  1919. 
AIMEE  SEMPLE  McPHERSON. 


Illustrations 


Facing 
Page 

AIMEE    SEMPLE    MCPHERSON Frontispiece 

MY  BIRTHPLACE,  AND  "CHILDHOOD'S  HAPPY  HOME" 26 

AN   AFTERNOON   MEETING   IN    SISTER   MC-PHERSON'S   GOSPEL 

TENT 131 

THE   NEW    TABERNACLE 145 

COAST  TO  COAST  IN   GOSPEL  CAR • 209 

(a)  THE   GREAT  TEMPLE   AUDITORIUM    (b)    TEMPLE   AUDI- 
TORIUM   ROSTRUM,  Los  ANGELES,   CAL 220 

VICTORIA  HALL,  Los  ANGELES   (WHERE  THE  POWER  FELL)... 231 

THE   HOUSE  THAT   GOD   BUILT. 239 

MY  CHILDREN    (Roberta  and  Rolf  with  Their  Mamma) 250 

GLAD  TIDINGS  ASSEMBLY  AUDITORIUM,   SAN   FRANCISCO 275 

WHICH    ROAD— WHICH    WILL  You    CHOOSE  ? 293 

A   CERTAIN    MAN   WENT   DOWN — HAVE  You   TAKEN   THIS 

JOURNEY  ? 324 

THE  Two  HOUSES — WHERE  ARE  You   BUILDING? 368 

DISPENSATION  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST   (As  I   SAW  IT  IN   MY 

VISION)      380 

THE    Two    PASTURES 450 

THE   PLAN   OF   REDEMPTION..  ..525 


Contents 


PREFACE     • 7 


PART  I. 

PERSONAL  TESTIMONY 

Chapter  Page 

I.     MY    MOTHER 11 

The  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me  saying  .  .  . 
I  sanctified  thee  and  I  ordained  thee  a  prophet 
unto  the  nations.  Jer.  1:4-9. 

H.     THE   BABY 16 

"For  this  child  I  prayed" — I  Sam.   1:27-28. 

III.  CHILDHOOD  DAYS    20 

Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  it  should  go. 
Prov.  22:6. 

IV.  GIRLHOOD 27 

Foolishness  is  found  in  the  heart  of  a  child. 
Prov.  22:15. 

V.     SALVATION  AND  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 36 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  that  before  they  call  .  .  . 
I  will  hear."  Isa.  65:24. 

VI.     CALLING  INTO  THE  VINEYARD  AND  MARRIAGE 59 

Come  my  beloved,  and  let  us  go  forth  into  the 
field,  let  us  lodge  in  the  villages.  S.  of  S.  7:11. 

VII.     EARLY  MINISTRY — MY  BROKEN  ANKLE  HEALED 67 

Let  us  get  up  early  to  the  vineyard  and  let  us 
see  if  the  vines  flourish.  S.  of  S.  7:12. 

VIII.     CALL   TO    FOREIGN    FIELDS 77 

"And  He  said  unto  me,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  Mk. 
16:15. 

IX.     DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND 83 

"When  thou  passeth  through  the  waters  .  .  . 
they  shall  not  overflow  thee."  Isa.  13:2. 

X.     NINEVEH  TO  TARSHISH  AND  RETURN 93 

And  the  Word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  Jonah  .  .  . 
Arise,  go  to  Nineveh  and  preach. — Jonah  2:1-10. 

XI.     GETTING  BACK 107 

"For  ye  were  the   sheep   going  astray." — I.   Pet. 

XII.     REVIVAL   FIRES   FALL ....117 

.  .  .  The  fires  of  the  Lord  fell  and  consumed 
sacrifice. — I  Kings.  18:30-39. 

XIII.     CALLED  TO  DWELL  IN  TENTS — FLORIDA  CAMPAIGN 131 

"For  I  have  not  dwelt  in  an  house — but  have 
gone  from  one  tent  to  another." — I  Chron.  17:5. 


CONTENTS— Continued 

Chapter  Page 

XIV.     THE   BRIDAL   CALL 141 

"Write  the  vision  and  make  it  plain — that  he 
may  run  that  readeth  it." — Hab.  2:2. 

XV.     EASTERN  SUMMER  TENT  CAMPAIGN  1917 145 

To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord  and 
the  day  of  vengeance  of  the  Lord;  to  comfort 
all  who  mourn." — Isa.  61:1-2-3. 

XVI.     SECOND    SOUTHERN    CAMPAIGN    AND    GOSPEL    AUTO 

WORK   155 

XVII.     MEETINGS  IN  VIRGINIA  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS VGV 

"So  she  gleaned  in  the  field  until  even  and  beat 
out  that  she  had  gleaned." — Ruth  2:15,  17. 

XVIII.     NATION  WIDE  CAMP.  PHILADELPHIA 183 

"And  then  the  House  was  filled  with  a  cloud 
even  the  House  of  the  Lord1." — II  Chron.  5:14. 

XIX.     CHAIN  OF  MEETINGS  FROM    MONTWAIT.   MASS..  T€> 

NEW    YORK    CITY 199 

In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening 
withhold  not  thy  hand. — Ecc.  11:6;  Matt.  10:23. 

XX.     TRANSCONTINENTAL    GOSPEL   AUTO   TRIP    AND   RE- 
VIVAL   AT    TULSA,    OKLA 209 

And  the  Lord  said  unto  the  servant,  Go  out  into 
the  highways  and  hedges  and  compel  them  to 
come  in,  that  My  house  may  be  filled. — Lv.  14:23. 

XXI.     CALIFORNIA    REVIVAL    MEETINGS 231 

"S'hout,  for  the  Lord  hath  given  you  the  city." 
Jas.  6:16. 

XXII.     "THE  HOUSE  THAT  GOD  BUILT" 239 

"Yea  the  sparrow  hath  found  an  house." — Ps. 
84:2. 

XXIII.     OTHER    CALIFORNIA     MEETINGS... 243 

"And  the  plowman  shall  overtake  the  reaper." 
— Amos.  9:13. 


PART  II. 

TESTIMONY  OF  THOSE  TOUCHED  BY  GOD  IN 
OUR  MEETINGS 

Page 
THE  MIGHTY  POWER  OF  GOD  MANIFESTED — MRS.  E,  SHARP..  .253 

TESTIMONY  OF  WILLIAM   K.   BOUTON 261 

MEMORIES  OF  THE  PHILADELPHIA  CAMP  MEETING,  BY  ELDER 

GEORGE  LLOYD 267 

A  MONDAY  NIGHT  MEETING,  PHOEBE  C.  BENT. 269 

SOME  THINGS  WHICH  I  SAW — ELIZABETH  SISSON 273 

WONDERFUL  DOWNPOUR  AT  VICTORIA  HALL— PASTOR  W.  W. 
FISHER    , 274 

SAN  FRANCISCO  REVIVAL — PASTOR  ROBERT  CRAIG..  .......275 


CONTENTS— Continued 


PART  III. 

SOME    SERMONS   AND  'WRITINGS   OF   AIM'EE 
.      SEMPLE  McPHERSON 

Page 

COME — IF — BUT • 281 

WHAT  SHALL  I  Do  WITH  JKSUS? - 286 

WHICH    ROAD? .293 

BEHOLD  THE   MAN 304 

"...   and    Pilate    said    Behold    the    Man." — John    15:5. 
BARABBAS • 310 

And     they     all     cried   .   .   .   and     release     us     Barabbas. 

Luke  23:8-9;  John  18:40. 

A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN   (Luke  10:30-35) 322 

HAVE  I   BEEN   so  LONG  TIME   WITH   You.  AND  YET   HAST 

THOU    NOT    KNOWN    ME? ..339 

LIBERTY   BON.DS — "OVER   THERE" .344 

(Inspired  by  Our  Country's  Call  for  the  Third  Liberty 
..  .      Loan,   April,  1918) 

MODERN   WARFARE — "OvER  THE   TOP" 353 

THE  RED  CROSS 359 

THE  Two  HOUSES 368 

The  House  on  the  sand  and  the  House  on   the  Rock. 

CONCERNING  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

Page 

LOST    AND    RESTORED 380 

THE  THREE  DISPENSATIONS. 383 

You  NEED  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT .407 

TARRY  UNTIL .412 

THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 418 

WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 425 

A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 431 

"...   I  will   feed  my  flock  and  I  will  cause  them  to 
lie  down  saith  the  Lord. — Ezekiel   34:14-15. 

THE  LATTER  RAIN 444 

SHEPHERDS  "FALSE  AND  TRUE". 448 

SAUL  OF  TARSUS  AND  PRESENT  DAY  SAULS 457 

WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE  MANIFESTATIONS? 465 

RECEIVE  YE  THE  HOLY  GHOST 478 

ACCORDING  TO  THE  WORD .481 

"...  Be    it    unto    me    according    to    Thy    Word." — 

Luke  1:38. 

TWENTY-FOUR    QUESTIONS    A    YOUNG    WORKER    is    APT-  TO 
MEET  AND  ANSWERS   FROM   THE  WORD   HE  SHOULD  BE 

ABLE    TO    GIVE 485 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  CHRIST .499 

THE    INQUIRER    AND   THE    WORD    TALK    TOGETHER    OF    His 

COMING 503 

SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES 509 

What  shall   be   the  sign   of  My  coming. — Matt  24:3. 

THE  MARRIAGE  OF  THE  LAMB  (A  Vision) ....... . .  .513 

THAT  WONDERFUL  DAY 518 

TOWARD    MORNING    .  ..520 


CONTENTS— Concluded 
TEACHING  OF  DEEPER  TRUTHS 

Page 

PLAN  OF  REDEMPTION  • . . 525 

THE  BRIDE  IN  THE  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 532 

(Come  hither,  I  will  shew  you  the  Bride,  the  Lamb's 

wife.— Rev.    21:9.) 

ISAAC   AND    REBECCA 547 

(From    a    sermon,    Bethel    Temple,    Chicago.) 
THE  LIFE  AND  GROWTH  OF  PETER 556 

THE  TEMPLE   • . .  • ^65 

"Ye    also    are   lively    stones,    are   built    upon    a   spirit- 
ual  House."— I  Pet.   2:5. 

GETTING  DOWN    574 

COVET  EARNESTLY  SPIRITUAL  GIFTS • 578 

THE  VALLEY  OF  DRY  BONES 585 

DEATH  IN  THE  POT • • 596 

REJOICE  IN  THE  LORD 615 

"Rejoice    in    the    Lord    alway,    and    again    I    say,    Re- 
joice."—Phil.   4:4. 

PRAISING  THE  LORD • • 621 

THE  FOUR  FOLD  MESSAGE  OF  THE  HOUR  (For  Fishers  of  Men)  .629 


PART  IV. 

VISIONS,   PROPHECIES,  MESSAGES   IN 
TONGUES   AND   INTERPRETATION 

Page 

RHAPSODY  OF   PRAISE • 638 

MEETING  IN  THE  AIR 639 

SONG  OF  PRAISE  AND  WORSHIP .639 

AWAKE  O  EARTH  !  JESUS  is  COMING  SOON 640 

THE  VOICE  OF  THE  LORD  TO  THE  NATIONS  AND  TO  THE  SAINTS.  .644 

PRESS  ON  TO  PERFECTION  (Prophecy  and  Vision) 648 

PERFECT  FRUIT    650 

JESUS  is  COMING  SOON — GET  READY  (Vision  and  Prophecy) .  .653 

THE  SIEVE  OF  THE  LORD    (Prophecy) 657 

WILT  THOU  WATCH  WITH  ME  ONE  LITTLE  HOUR  (Prophetic 

Song) 661 

THIS  is  THE  WAY;  WALK  YE  IN  IT  (Prophecy) 663 

THE  VINEYARD  OF  THE  LORD  (Tongues  and  Interpretations)  .669 
THE   STORM   AND   THE   WHITE   LAMBS    (Tongues   and    In- 
terpretation)  671 

MESSAGE  GIVEN  IN  THE  SPIRIT 673 

REIGN,  SILENCE,  REIGN   ( Prophecy) 675 

LOVE'S    PINIONS    AND    THE    CHURCH    TRIUMPHANT — PRO- 
PHETIC   SONG    PLAYED   AND    SUNG    AT    THE    PIANO    IN 

TONGUES    AND   INTERPRETATIONS 678 

THE  BRIDEGROOM  AND  THE  BRIDE  ( Prophecy) 679 


Preface 

The  realization  that  Jesus  is  coming  soon  and 
that  whatever  is  done  must  be  done  quickly,  has  put 
a  "hurry-up"  in  my  soul  to  get  the  message  to  the 
greatest  number  of  people  in  the  shortest  possible 
time  by  every  available  means. 

Sometimes  when  laboring  in  certain  portions  of 
the  Master's  vineyard,  we  have  felt  that  we  were 
reaching  many,  but  when,  under  the  burden  of 
prayer,  the  Lord  catches  us  up  in  the  Spirit,  and 
with  clarified  vision  and  broadened  horizon  we  see 
earth's  millions  who  are  yet  unconscious  of  the 
signs  of  the  times  and  know  not  that  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  is  nigh  at  hand,  we  are  overwhelmed  with 
the  desire  to  speed  through  the  lands,  and  ring  the 
message  forth — "Jesus  is  coming  soon — prepare  to 
meet  him  I"  Oh,  that  we  might  write  it  in  flaming 
letters  upon  the  sky!  It  is  to  this  end,  therefore, 
that  this  book  is  sent  forth. 

Part  I — Personal  Testimony — simply  written 
and  solely  for  the  encouragement  of  others,  know- 
ing that  Avhat  the  Lord  has  so  graciously  done  for 
one  so  unworthy,  He  is  abundantly  able  and  will- 
ing to  do  for  all. 

Part  II — "In  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  wit- 
nesses shall  every  word  be  established." 

Part  III — Sermons  and  Writings — contains  a 
message  to  the  sinner ; — to  the  born-again  soul  who 
has  not  yet  received  the  baptism  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  to  the  baptized  believer  who  is  pressing 
on  to  perfection. 


Part  IV — Visions,  Prophecies,  and  interpreta- 
tions of  messages  which  the  Lord  has  given  me  in 
the  Spirit  and  which  have  been  of  such  value  and 
blessing  to  ourselves  and  others;  we  realize  them 
too  precious  to  be  lost. 

He  bade  me  go  forth  taking  no  thought  what  I 
should  eat  or  drink  or  wherewith  I  should  be 
clothed,  assured  that  He  who  had  commissioned 
me  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel 
knew,  and  would  supply  every  need  according  to 
His  riches. 

We  have  never  known  what  it  was  to  have  any 
earthly  board  behind  us  or  any  one  person  to  whom 
we  could  look  for  support,  yet  God  has  inarvel- 
ously  supplied  our  every  need. 

Will  the  reader  pardon  mistakes  and  look  more 
at  the  spirit  in  which  the  book  is  written  than  at 
errors  in  composition?  It  is  doubtful  whether  any 
other  book  has  been  written  under  similar  circum- 
stances. I  have  had  no  quiet  study  into  which  to 
retire  and  close  the  door  to  the  world  and  countless 
interruptions.  Each  page  has  been  written  in  spare 
moments,  amidst  the  stress  of  meetings,  playing, 
singing,  preaching,  and  working  at  the  altar,  be- 
sides traveling  far  and  wide  with  the  Gospel  car. 
The  opening  chapters  were  written  in  Florida,  and 
the  work  has  been  continued  en  route  from  there 
to  New  York,  the  New  England  states,  and  thence 
across  the  continent  to  California. 

Though  the  reader  and  the  writer  may  never 
meet  in  this  present  life,"  this  book  goes  from  my 
hand  and  heart  with  the  earnest  prayer  and  hope 
that  we  shall  rise  together  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the 
clouds  of  glory,  when  Jesus  shall  appear. 


Parti 
Personal  Testimony 


CHAPTER  I. 

MY  MOTHER. 

"The  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying, 
Before  I  formed  thee  ...  I  knew  thee;  and  before 
thou  earnest  forth  ...  I  sanctified  thee  and  I  ordained 
thee  a  prophet  unto  the  nations.  Then  said  I,  Ah!  Lord 
God!  behold,  I  cannot  speak;  for  I  am  a  child.  But  the  Lord 
said  unto  me,  Say  not,  I  am  a  child;  for  thou  shalt  go  to  all 
that  I  shall  send  thee,  and  whatsoever  I  command  thee  thou 
shalt  speak.  Be  not  afraid  of  their  faces;  for  I  am  with 
thee  to  deliver  thee.  Then  the  Lord  put  forth  His  hand,  and 
touched  my  mouth,  and  said  unto  me,  Behold,  I  have  put  My 
Words  in  thy  mouth."  Jer.  l:(4-9). 

WHEN  I  was  a  little  girl  seventeen  years 
of  age,  the  Lord  spoke  these  words 
plainly  into  my  startled  ears,  as  I  was 
alone  in  my  bedroom  praying  one  day. 
It  was  a  solemn  time  when  He  ordained  me  there 
to  preach  the  Gospel.  At  first  it  seemed  too 
astounding  and  impossible  to  be  true  that  the 
Lord  would  ever  call  such  a  simple,  unworthy 
little  country  girl  as  I  to  go  out  and  preach 
the  Gospel  but  the  call  and  ordination  were  so  real 
that,  although  later  set  apart  and  ordained  by  the 
saints  of  God,  the  memory  of  my  little  bedroom, 
flooded  with  the  glory  of  God  as  He  spoke  those 
words,  has  always  been  to  me  my  real  ordination. 
It  is  because  the  words,  "Before  I  formed  thee  I 
knew  thee,  and  before  thou  earnest  forth  I  sanc- 
tified thee/'  are  so  true  in  my  life  that  I  must 
begin  my  testimony  by  taking  you.  back  some  twenty 
years  before  I  was  born.  Our  lives  are  like  a  great 
loom,  weaving  many  threads  together,  and  the  first 
threads  of  my  life  are  inseparably  woven  about  my 
dear  Mother;  it  is  with  her,  therefore,  that  the 
story  of  my  life  really  begins. 

11 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Keturning  from  school  at  the  age  of  twelve,  she 
read  excitedly  of  a  strange  "Army"  who  were  an- 
nounced to  bombard  the  to\vn  and  take  prisoners 
for  the  King.  Prevailing  upon  her  mother  to  risk 
the  danger,  they  stood  in  a  downpour  of  rain,  await- 
ing the  advent  of  the  army.  Presently  the  word 
was  passed— 

"Here  they  come!" 

But  where  were  they?  Could  this  be  all?  Three 
strangers,  cloaked  in  quiet  blue,  stepped  forth  into 
the  square,  and  knelt  in  silent  prayer. 

The  humility,  seriousness  and  sweetness  of  it 
swept  over  her  heart.  She  realized  the  tender  draw- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  before  a  word  had  been 
spoken  she  knew  that  these  were  God's  people  and 
her  people.  As  they  sang — 
"We  are  bound  for  the  land  of  the  pure  and  the  holy, 

The  home  of  the  happy,  the  kingdom  of  love. 
Ye  wanderers  from  God,  in  the  broad  road  of  folly, 

O !  say — will  you  go  to   the  Eden  above?" 
Her  heart,  melting  in  love  and  adoration,  answered 
-"I  will  go." 

Her  mother  had  talked  much  of  the  mighty  power 
of  God  manifested  in  the  early  Methodist  church, 
and  here  in  the  Army  she  found  it  again,  and  it  was 
nothing  uncommon  to  see  men  and  women  slain  as 
in  the  church  of  John  Wesley's  day.  Her  heart  was 
filled  with  a  desire  to  win  other  souls  for  Jesus; 
the  love  of  Christ  constrained  her  to  His  glad  serv- 
ice, and  the  all-absorbing  purpose  of  her  soul  was  to 

prepare  in  obedience  to  the  divine  call. 

#     *     * 

Soon  came  the  illness  and  death  of  her  mother, 
who  had  talked  to  her  solemnly  of  the  time  soon 
coming  Avhen  the  little  girl  should  be  left  alone  in 
the  world,  telling  her  that  she  would  commend  her 
to  the  tender  care  of  God  and  the  Captain's  wife, 
who  had  been  her  spiritual  mother.  She  did  not 
waver  for  an  instant  in  answering  the  call  to  th£ 

12 


MY  MOTHER 

ranks  of  the  Army  and  after  quickly  packing  her 
simple  belongings,  my  mother  left  all,  friends  and 
home,  and  native  land,  to  follow  Jesus. 

The  period  of  service  which  followed  her  arrival 
at  the  Army  quarters  in  the  distant  town,  brought 
blessed  help  and  inspiration.  The  godly  life  of  her 
leaders,  and  the  prayers  of  the  Captain,  who  fre- 
quently spent  whole  nights  on  his  face  before  God 
in  intercession  for  precious  souls,  the  hours  spent 
in  visiting  the  sick  and  sinful — the  trudging  five 
miles  to  assist  in  "Outpost"  duties,  the  "War  Cry" 
selling,  and  meetings,  all  helped  comprise  the  rou- 
tine of  life. 

But  again  fell  the  shadows — this  time  an  illness 
which  necessitated  an  extended  change  of  scene  andf 
work ;  this  meant  a  painful  goodby  to  her  comrades, 
and  a  visit  to  a  country  farm. 

Then  it  was,  while  weak  in  body,  depressed  in 
spirit,  and  mourning  over  the  loss  of  a  mother's 
sympathetic  hand,  that  she  married,  hoping  to  be 
able  to  continue  her  work  for  God,  but  amidst  the 
strenuous  and  unaccustomed  duties  of  heavy  farm 
work,  she  was  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  she 
was  caught  in  the  devil's  net,  and  helpless  as  far  as. 
active  service  was  concerned,  and  must  largely  de- 
vote herself  to  the  manifold  cares  of  life  and  home. 
Even  so  environed,  she  stood  true  to  her  Lord, 
setting  up  a  family  altar,  and  helping  with  meetj- 
ings  in  the  homes  of  the  neighborhood,  often  driving 
or  walking  the  six  miles  to  the  nearest  corps,  and 
counted  it  the  one  bright  hour  of  her  day,  even  when 
weary  and  worn  with  heavy  toil  and  care.     Yet, 
realizing  ever  that  she  had  failed  the  Lord,  who  had 
redeemed  and  set  her  apart  for  His  glorious  pur- 
pose, life  grew  more  and  more  dreary;  her  spirit 
grieved  sore,  with  no  ray  of  hope  to  rectify  herself 
toward  God,   and  the  souls  she  had   been  called 
to  win. 

Ah !    Many  who  read  this  experience  will  know 

13 


THIS  IS  THAT 

how  to  enter  into  her  feelings,  for  alas,  many  grow 
faint  and  falter  by  the  wayside,  or  seek  to  find  an 
easier  pathway,  only  to  discover  themselves  outside 
the  paths  of  obedience  and  blessing. 

My  Mother's  pathway,  in  these  days,  was  hedged 
about  with  difficulties.  Shorn  of  her  usefulness, 
fettered  by  circumstances,  she  truly  did  grind  in 
the  prison  house;  but,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  dur- 
ing all  the  time  that  her  body  was  fettered,  her 
soul  was  turning  Heavenward.  Each  hour  the  long- 
ing became  more  intense  to  go  on  with  the  work 
for  which  God  had  ordained  her,  and  for  which  pur- 
pose she  had  left  home  and  friends  and  separated 
herself  unto  the  Lord.  Finally  it  absorbed  her  every 
thought  in  waking,  and  became  her  one  dream  in 
repose — she  must  make  good  her  belated  pledge. 
She  must  "come  back"  to  the  glorious  calling  of 
the  Cross. 

HOPE'S  ONE  RAY. 

One  day,  after  reading  over  and  over  the  story  of 
Hannah,  she  went  to  her  room,  and  closing  the 
door,  kneeled  by  her  bed,  and  prayed  unto  the  Lord, 
and  vowed  a  vow,  saying — 

"Oh  Lord,  You  called  me  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
but  somehow  I  have  failed  You  and  cannot  go,  but 
if  You  will  only  hear  my  prayer,  as  You  heard 
Hannah's  prayer  of  old,  and  give  me  a  little  baby 
girl,  I  will  give  her  unreservedly  into  your  service, 
that  she  may  preach  the  word  I  should  have 
preached,  fill  the  place  I  should  have  filled,  and  live 
the  life  I  should  have  lived  in  Thy  service.  O  Lord, 
hear  and  answer  me ;  give  me  the  witness  that  Thou 
hast  heard  me,  O  Lord,  for  Thine  own  Name's  saEe. 
Amen." 

Turning  to  the  window,  she  swept  back  the  cur- 
tains and  gazed  wistfully  up  at  the  dark  clouds 
shrouding  the  face  of  the  sky  and  shutting  out  the 
sunshine  beyond. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  rift  in  the  clouds,  and  a 

14 


MY  MOTHER 

ray  of  sunlight  illumined  yonder  hilltop,  moved 
quickly  down  the  slope  of  the  hill,  reached  the  val- 
ley, the  orchard,  the  house  itself,  and  fell  full  upon 
the  white,  anxious  face  with  its  tear-reddened  eyes, 
framed  in  the  window,  lighting  it  with  divine  radi- 
ance, hope  and  courage,  and  swept  on  into  the  room, 
flooding  it  with  golden  glory. 

To  the  longing  little  heart  of  my  Mother,  as  she 
kneeled  at  the  window,  it  seemed  that  surely  here 
was  the  divine  witness  from  above — the  sealing  of 
her  vow  unto  God. 

Again  she  read  and  reread  the  story  of  Hannah, 
and  the  child  she  had  dedicated  unto  the  Lord.  She 
sat  on,  gazing  far  away — dreaming  of  the  future 
years.  Over  the  distant  hills  the  sun  was  fast  sink' 
ing,  transforming  the  sombre  sky  into  a  glorious 
mirage  of  hope,  flaming  with  crimson,  purple  and 
gold. 

O  Hope !  dazzling,  radiant  Hope ! — What  a  change 
thou  bringest  to  the  hopeless,  brightening  the  dark- 
ened paths,  and  cheering  the  lonely  way. 


15 


THIS  IS  THAT 


CHAPTEE  II. 
THE   BABY. 


"For  this  child  I  prayed;  and  the  Lord  gave  me  my 
petition,  which  I  asked  of  Him.  Therefore  also  I  have  lent 
him  unto  the  Lord;  as  long  as  he  liveth  he  shall  be  lent 
unto  the  Lord."  I  Sam.  1:27,  28. 


"Hush,  my  babe, 

Lie  still  and  slumber, 
Holy  angels  guard   thy  bed. 

Heavenly  blessings  without  number, 
Gently  falling  on  thy  head." 

THERE  was  a  B-A-B-Y  in  the  house!— a 
tiny,  insignificant  little  thing;  not  good 
for  much  of  anything  but  sleeping,  and 
crying,  and  sucking  a  soft  little  pink 
thumb, — and  it  seems  that  I  was  that  baby. 

Mother  was  rocking  the  warm  little  bundle,  so 
carefully  wrapped  in  the  big  embroidered  shawl, 
and  singing  softly  the  childtime  lullaby — 

"Hush,  my  babe — " 
The  little  head  was  nodding,  nodding,  n-o-d-d-i-n-g — , 

"Lie  still  and  si— " 
Tired  eyes  were  drooping,  d-r-o-o-p-i-n-g — . 

"Holy  angels  guard  thy  b — " 
the  tiny  fingers  were  slowly  relaxing  their  clasp, 

"Heavenly  blessings,  without  num — " 
another  final  little  pat  and — the  baby  was  asleep. 

Outside  the  dining-room  windows  the  autumn 
leaves  were  again  drifting  lightly  to  the  earth.  The 
late  October  sunshine  was  again  slanting  through 
the  gorgeous  foliage  of  the  big  maple  and  locusts 
that  stood  as  sentries  by  our  door.  Fall  breezes, 

16 


THE  BABY 

rustling  through  the  leaves,  shook  the  branches  and 
sent  a  veritable  shower  of  gay  colored  leaves  cascad- 
ing through  the  air  and  tapping  lightly  at  the  win- 
dow-pane, as  though  inviting  memory  to  soar  as 
lightly  as  they  back  to  the  fall,  when  last  these  same 
trees  had  shaken  oif  their  coat  of  many  colors — 
back  to  the  day  in  her  rooom,  when  she  had 
prayed  for  the  little  daughter  that  should  take  her 
place  and  preach  the  good  tidings  of  great  joy. 

Never,  for  a  moment,  in  the  days  that  followed, 
had  she  doubted  God — was  He  not  faithful  who 
had  promised?  Piece  by  piece  the  wardrobe  had 
been  finished  and  hidden  away  cautiously  under 
lock  and  key.  Sitting  there,  folding  the  baby  in  her 
arms,  in  memory  she  again  tip-toed  lightly  up  the 
stairs,  and  after  locking  her  door,  with  greatest 
delight  unfolded  and  lovingly  fingered,  garment  by 
garment,  the  wardrobe  that  was  to  be  for  the  little 
girl.  Had  she  not  asked  God  for  a  "daughter"  that 
would  fill  her  place  in  His  service?  Even  the  morn- 
ing the  little  pink-faced,  brown-eyed  stranger  had 
announced  its  arrival  with  no  uncertain  tones,  mak- 
ing the  quiet  old  farmhouse  ring  and  echo,  my  little 
Mother  had  not  doubted,  but  asked  confidently— 

"Where  is  she?    Bring  her  here." 

Then  her  thoughts  swept  beyond  the  past  and  the 
present,  and  soared  far  away  into  the  future — 
dreaming  of  the  years  that  were  to  come,  when  this 
wee  creature  with  the  turned-up  nose,  and  the  "ten 
tiny  fingers  and  toes,"  would  be  preaching  the  Gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 

Caressing  the  little  fingers,  she  dreamed  of  the 
day  when  these  same  little  hands,  grown  stronger, 
would  hold  a  Bible,  and  wield  the  sword  of  the 
Word,  when  these  little  feet  would  follow  the  Lamb 
"whithersoever  He  leadeth" — when  these  little  lips 
would  preach  the  Word.  Ah — 

"Faith,  mighty  faith,  the  promise  sees, 
And  looks  to  that  alone. 

17 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Laughs  at  impossibilities, 

And  cries — 'It  shall  be  done'." 

The  great  torrent  of  love  and  desire  for  personal 
service,  which  had  hitherto  flooded  my  Mother's 
soul,  was  now  turned  into  a  new  channel — the  one 
absorbing,  all-important  business  of  her  life  became 
the  bringing  up  of  the  baby  in  the  way  she  should 
go.  This  training,  Mother  felt,  could  not  begin  too 
early  in  life,  and  therefore,  when  I  arrived  at  the 
age  of  three  weeks,  she  announced  to  the  horrified 
nurse,  and  the  astonished  household-in-general,  her 
firm  determination  to  take  the  baby  to  a  "Jubilee" 
at  the  five-mile  distant  corps. 

Much  well-meant  advice  to — 

"Keep  that  child  at  home  by  the  fire,"  followed 
my  Mother  to  the  door.  Some  declared  that  the 
baby  would  surely  have  pneumonia.  Aunt  Maria, 
who  "knew  all  about  babies,"  shook  her  head,  and 
told  how  they  managed  their  baby  at  her  house, 
protesting  to  the  last — 

"You'll  kill  that  Baby !  You  don't  know  anything 
about  a  baby.  Anyone  who  does  not  know  how  to 
take  better  care  of  a  baby  than  that  shouldn't 
have  one."  (But  alas!  Aunt  Maria's  baby,  whose 
natural  body  they  nurtured  so  carefully,  and  kept 
cuddled  by  the  fire,  soon  took  the  much-feared  cold 
and  died.) 

Mother  tells  me  that  from  the  very  first  meeting 
I  was  warmly  welcomed — occupied  the  front  seat — 
and  contributed,  without  request,  my  full  share  to 
the  music  and  interest  of  the  evening. 

At  six  weeks  of  age  I  was  promoted  to  the  plat- 
form. It  was  my  solemn  dedication  service  in  the 
Salvation  Army — the  hour  for  which  my  Mother 
had  longed  and  prayed — the  hour  of  her  dreams  and 
hopes — the  hour  wherein  she  publicly  consecrated 
this  visible  answer  to  prayer — her  little  daughter — 
to  the  service  of  the  Lord. 

Thus  in  my  infancy,  my  precious  Mother  fulfilled 

18 


THE  BABY 

her  vow  unto  the  Lord,  who  had  looked  upon  the 
affliction  of  His  handmaid,  remembered  her,  and 
given  unto  her  the  child  for  which  she  prayed.' 

"On  Him  who  watches  over  all, 

I  cast  my  weight  of  care, 
Assured  He  hears  me  when  I  pray, 

And  always  answers  prayer. 

Sometimes  I  wait  full  many  a  year 
Sometimes  'tis  then  and  there, 

His  answering  message  I  can  hear; 
God  always  answers  prayer. 

Sometimes  afar  He  bids  me  'go' 

But  He'll  go  with  me  there; 
If  He  says  'stay',  I'm  glad  'tis  so; 

Love  always  answers  prayer. 

Tomorrow,  perhaps— it  may  be  today, 

But  whether  'tis  'Yea', 

Or  whether  'tis  'Nay', 
God  always  answers  prayer." 


19 


THIS  IS  THAT 


CHAPTER  III. 

CHILDHOOD  DAYS. 

(A  chapter  written  for  the  children — big  folks  and  wise 
folks  should  not  read,  but  pass  on  to  Chapter  IV.) 

*  #      # 

"Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go;  and  when  he 
is  old,  he  will  not  depart  from  it."  Prov.  22:6. 

*  *      * 

"Gentle  Jesus,  meek  and  mild, 
Look  upon  this  little  child ; 
Pity  my  simplicity, 
Suffer  me  to  come  to  Thee. 
Fain  I  would  to  Thee  be  brought, 
Gracious  Lord,  forbid  it  not. 
Find  a  little  child  a  place.'' 

GOD  bless  Papa,  God  bless  Mamma,  God 
bless  everybody,  all  over  the  world,  and 
make  little  4<iuiee  a  good  girl,  for  Jesus' 
sake,  Amen?'- 

So  ended  each  happy,  childhood  day,  with  prayers 
and  kisses,  and  Bible  stories.  My  own  childhood 
days  being  so  blessed  with  Christian  influence  and 
Bible  teaching,  it  has  always  seemed  to  me,  that  the 
home  without  a  godly  praying  Mother  had  been 
deprived  of  the  greatest  of  all  earthly  blessings; 
that  home  has  been  robbed  of  the  greatest  of  all 
earthly  jewels.  The  child  of  that  home  has  suffered 
an  irreparable  loss,  never  to  be  regained. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  poorest  home — the  hum- 
blest cottage  in  the  dell,  that  contains  a  godly 
Mother — who  day  by  day  dispenses  her  prayers, 
tears  and  smiles,  her  words  of  reproof  and  encour- 
agement, her  patience  and  love,  her  sunshine,  and 
the  lilt  of  a  song  —  that  home,  though  poor 

20 


CHILDHOOD  DAYS 

as  this  world  counts  poverty,  is  as  a  casket  that 
contains  a  priceless  jewel. 

If  anyone  should  ask  me  which  of  my  childhood 
memories  I  hold  most  dear,  I  should  skip  over  the 
beloved  wee  lambies,  the  big  Newfoundland  dog, 
the  bossies,  the  colts,  the  downy  little  goslings  and 
chickens,  my  white  doves,  and  numerous  other 
childish  treasures  of  my  heart,  and  should  tell 
of  that  hallowed  twilight  hour  when,  clasped 
tightly  in  my  Mother's  arms,  we  rocked  to 
and  fro  in  the  big  old  comfy  rocker,  as  she  told  me 
the  most  wonderful  Bible  stories  and  sang  hymns 
of  the  Saviour's  love. 

There  was  the  story  of  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den, 
ever  dear  to  the  heart  of  a  child — the  three  Hebrew 
children  in  the  fiery  furnace — Joseph  with  his  coat 
of  many  colors — Moses  and  Aaron  with  the  children 
of  Israel— the  life  and  sacrifice  of  Jesus,  the  beauty 
of  that  wonderful  place  called  heaven,  which  He 
had  gone  to  prepare.  All  these  and  many  others 
were  as  bright,  golden  threads  woven  through  my 
childish  training.  At  the  age  of  five  there  were 
very  few  stories  in  the  Bible  I  could  not  rise  and 
tell  when  asked  to  do  so.  So  much  for  an  early 
Christian  training. 

Did  any  of  you  little  children  ever  see  the  picture 
of  the  guardian  angel  watching  over  and  protecting 
the  tiny  boy  and  girl  that  ran  along  plucking  flowers 
at  the  edge  of  a  great  precipice?  In  the  same  mira- 
culous way  our  dear  Jesus  watched  over  and  pro- 
tected me — that  happened  again  and  again. 

There  was  the  time  I  climbed  into  the  big  old 
bucket  that  hung  over  the  deep,  black  well  with  its 
rows  and  rows  of  moss-covered  stones  that  formed 
its  wall — down,  down,  down  as  far  as  my  inquisi- 
tive eyes  could  see,  as  I  peered  over  the  square, 
boarded  enclosure  which  stood  just  on  a  level  with 
my  chin  when  I  stood  on  tip-top-toe.  Sometimes, 
when  the  sun  was  just  right,  and  the  bucket  was 

21 


THIS  IS  THAT 

resting  on  its  little  shelf  just  inside  the  well,  I  could 
see  another  little  girl  down  there,  and  when  I  called 
a  friendly  little — 

"Hello!"  to  her,  she  would  always  echo  back — 
"  'Lo !"  Reaching  across  the  board  enclosure  that 
guarded  the  mouth  of  the  well  was  the  windlass 
with  the  crank  that  turned  the  roller  and  let  down 
such  yards  and  yards  of  big  rope,  and  then  drew  up 
the  great  bucket  brimming  full  of  icy  water. 

The  big  handle  had  given  me  many  hard,  warning- 
whacks  when  I  was  experimenting  with  it,  and 
Mother  had  warned  me  again  and  again  not  to  go 
near  the  well;  but  one  day  when  she  was  having 
company,  I  slipped  down  out  of  my  chair  at  the 
table,  away  from  her  protecting  care,  and  watchful 
eyes,  and  toddled  straight  to  the  well  which  held 
such  mystery  and  interest. 

What  fun  it  would  be  to  get  hold  of  the  swinging 
rope,  get  into  the  bucket  and  go  down  to  visit  the 
little  girl  I  had  seen  reflected  in  the  water !  I  had 
just  climbed  up  on  a  box,  leaned  over,  and  was 
scrambling  into  the  bucket,  when  Mother  missed 
me.  The  silence  pervading  the  air  arousing  her 
apprehensions,  she  flew  to  the  door  just  in  time  to 
see  the  skirt  of  a  pink  dress  and  a  little  pair  of  feet 
disappearing  as  I  crept  over.  The  handle  jarred 
loose  from  its  holder  and  was  beginning  to  turn 
when  she  caught  it  and  snatched  me  from  the  mouth 
of  the  well  into  her  arms. 

The  well  was  boarded  up  higher  after  that,  and 
soon  a  windmill  was  put  in.  There  was  no  more 
chance  to  play  with  the  bucket,  but  surely  the 
Father  who  watches  over  all  had  protected  and 
spared  my  life.  Bless  His  name. 

When  you  read  the  next  chapter  you  will  see 
how  I  slipped  from  my  heavenly  Father's  table  in 
just  the  same  way,  and  leaned  far  out  over  the 
yawning  black  well  of  sin,  and  was  just  being 
allured  into  its  depths,  and  the  handle  was  begin- 

22 


CHILDHOOD  DAYS 

n ing  to  turn,  when  Jesus  rescued  me  and  snatched 
me  up  into  His  arms  and  safety. 

Then  there  was  the  time  Mother  had  sent  me  out 
behind  the  barn  to  gather  a  pail  of  chips  for  the 
kitchen  fire.  This  was  one  of  my  daily  chores.  My 
Father  was  a  bridge  contractor  and  builder,  and 
there  were  always  such  piles  of  chips  where  he  had 
been  hewing  the  great  timbers. 

This  particular  evening  I  had  on  a  little  white 
dress  with  red  moons  in  it,  of  which  I  was  very 
proud.  The  bull,  who,  with  the  other  cattle,  was 
returning  from  the  fields  and  gathering  about  the 
watering  trough,  evidently  did  not  like  those  fine 
red  moons  in  my  dress.  He  had  always  been  so 
gentle  and  harmless  that  danger  from  that  source 
was  never  expected. 

I  was  just  at  the  corner  of  the  barn,  opposite  a 
big  pile  of  lumber,  and  had  my  bucket  almost  filled 
with  chips.  Frightened  at  the  menacing  way  in 
which  he  advanced,  I  threw  a  chip  at  him  and  told 
him  to  "Go  away."  Without  halting,  however,  he 
came  on — in  a  business-like,  determined  way  I  did 
not  like. 

Towering  over  me,  he  hit  me  with  his  forehead, 
and  every  time  that  I  would  get  up  he  would  bunt 
me  so  hard  that  I  would  fall  down  again  in  the 
muddy  barnyard.  Fortunately  my  Father  had 
sawed  his  horns  off  sometime  previous,  but  it  was 
only  the  mercy  of  God  that  kept  him  from  pawing 
me  under  his  great,  angry  feet,  and  that  gave  me 
the  presence  of  mind  to  crawl  into  and  through  the 
hollow  place  that  ran  under  the  pile  of  lumber,  clear 
to  the  other  end,  thus  escaping  as  he  waited  my 
reappearance. 

I  seemed  perfectly  numb;  my  mouth  was  filled 
with  dirt  and  blood  but  tightly  in  my  hands  I 
clasped  that  bucket  of  chips.  Mamma  had  sent  me 
after  chips,  and  chips  I  was  going  to  take  to 
Mamma. 

23 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Mother  heard  the  sound  of  my  crying  but  thought 
I  was  singing.  (This  did  not  speak  very  well  for 
my  singing.)  However,  she  caught  a  sight  of  me 
through  the  window,  and  in  a  moment  was  by  my 
side,  .and  when  she  gathered  me  up  in  her  arms  I 
was  still  clinging  to  the  pail  of  chips,  and  it  was 
not  until  she  got  me  to  the  Avell  and  began  to  bathe 
me  with  cold  water  that  I  fainted  away  in  her  arms, 
releasing  my  hold  upon  them. 

Being  called  upon  to  endure  hardness  as  a  good 
soldier,  and  to  bring  back  precious  souls  for  Jesus, 
no  matter  how  hard  the  conflict,  the  Lord  has  put 
that  within  me  which  causes  me  to  go  through, 
refusing  defeat,  refusing  even  to  be  discouraged, 
and  I  often  think  of  the  little  girl  in  the  bedraggled, 
red-mooned  dress,  who  brought  home  the  bucket  of 
chips;  and  someway  I  know  that  just  as  my  Mother 
gathered  me  Avith  the  marks  of  combat,  chips  and 
all.  into  her  arms,  He  will  meet  me  at  the  end  of 
life's  little  day  and  gather  me  with  my  tight-clasped, 
precious  burden,  into  His  arms. 

Biding  the  horses  on  my  Father's  farm  was  one 
of  my  greatest  delights.  Here  again  the  Lord 
watched  over  me.  One  time  when  I  was  riding  a 
high-mettled  horse  whom  even  the  men-folks  hardly 
risked  themselves  with,  but  who  had  succumbed 
condescendingly  to  my  coaxings  of  sugar  and  pet- 
tings,  he  became  frightened  at  the  rattling  of  the 
wire  fence,  from  which  I  sprang  to  his  back,  and 
began  a  mad  gallop  across  the  fields  before  I  had 
well  gotten  my  equilibrium. 

He  was  running  toward  a  barbed-wire  fence.  I 
knew  that  if  he  reached  this  fence  it  would  ruin  the 
horse,  one  which  my  Father  valued  highly,  and 
decided  to  cling  to  his  long,  flowing  mane  and 
spring  as  he  sprang,  alighting  on  my  feet,  believing 
that  he  would  slow  down  immediately.  This  I  had 
done  at  other  times,  but  now,  unfortunately,  I 
landed  on  an  anthill,  which  turned  my  ankle  and 

24 


CHILDHOOD  DAYS 

sprained  it  badly,  severing  some  of  the  cords.  But 
my  life  was  spared,  praise  God,  and  in  spite  of 
crutches  and  pain  I  passed  the  examinations  at  the 
head  of  my  class,  and  came  in  second  for  the  schol- 
arship, offered  the  one  making  the  highest  grades 
in  the  collegiate  entrance  examination. 

During  the  early  years  of  my  life  my  Mother  was 
Junior  Sergeant-Major  in  the  Salvation  Army  (in 
other  words  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School), 
and  had  a  great  flock  of  young  people  under  her 
care.  It  was  often  a  great  effort  for  her  to  go  to  the 
five-mile  distant  corps  where  her  work  lay.  When 
roads  were  poor  or  horse  and  carriage  was  not  to 
be  had,  she  would  walk ;  and  when  roads  were  good, 
many's  the  time  (when  I  was  the  age  of  five  and  six 
and  seven),  she  carried  me  on  the  handle-bars  of 
her  bicycle,  over  hills  and  dust  to  the  meeting,  and 
kept  up  her  Christian  work. 

These  meetings  were  to  me  a  great  delight.  It 
was  a  special  joy  to  bring  other  little  children  to 
the  penitent  form  to  be  prayed  for.  Very  proud  was 
I  also  of  my  Mother's  imposing  title.  It  seemed 
very  grand  and  important  to  me,  and  not  satisfied 
to  await  the  next  meeting  at  the  barracks,  I  would 
often  convert  the  big  bedroom  upstairs  into  a  meet- 
ing house.  Carrying  chairs  from  other  parts  of  the 
house  thither  and  lining  them  up  in  rows  I  would 
conduct  a  meeting  myself,  and  Mother,  listening 
outside  the  door,  would  hear  me  solemnly  an- 
nounce— 

"Now,  Sergeant-Major  will  lead  in  prayer."  With 
this  I  would  kneel  and  pray. 

"Now,  the  Sergeant-Major  will  sing  a  solo." — 
Here  followed  the  best  imitation  I  knew  how  to 
produce  of  one  of  her  sweet  songs. 

"Now,  the  Sergeant-Major  will  lead  the  testimony 
meeting" — "Bead  the  Word,"  and  finally  all  the 
chairs  were  solemnly  requested  to  bow  their  heads 
while  the  Sergeant-Major  closed  in  prayer. 

25 


THIS  IS  THAT 

And  so  you  see  God  had  His  liaiid  upon  me,  and 
the  desires  of  my  heart,  .and  the  aspirations  of  my 
mind  in  these  early  days.  It  seemed  indeed  true 
that  as  a  child  of  prayer  He  had  in  loving  compas- 
sion known  me,  and  in  tender  mercy  called  me  for 
a  purpose.  Oh,  Hallelujah! 

At  the  Young  People's  rallies  it  was  customary 
for  the  children  to  wear  white  sashes  with  colored 
mottoes  embroidered  upon  them,  and  whilst  upon 
the  other  children's  sashes  would  be  such  words  as 
" Jesus  Saves"  or  "God  Is  Love/'  etc.,  the  one  my 
Mother  had  worked  for  me  read — "God's  Little 
Child."  And  so  did  she  hold  me,  for  the  fulfillment 
of  her  prayer, — through  tempest  and  trial,  sorrow 
and  discouragement,  that  she  might  claim  the  prom- 
ise and  bring  up  the  child  in  the  way  it  should  go, 
that  when  it  was  old  it  should  not  depart  from  it. 

Tell  me,  little  girls  and  boys  who  read  this  chap- 
ter, does  your  Mamma  know  Jesus?  Does  she  pray 
for  you  that  you  may  be  a  worker  for  Him  some 
day,  and  have  you  given  Him  your  heart  while  it  is 
tender  and  you  are  in  the  beginning  of  Life? 


26 


SCENfe  OF  CHAPTERS  II  AND  III. 
"There  was  a  B-a-b-y  in  the  quiet  old  farm  house" 

See  page  16. 

HOME   OF  MY   EARLY  PENTECOSTAL   EXPERIENCES 
AND  WEDDING. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
GIRLHOOD. 

"Foolishness  is  bound  in  the  heart  of  a  child." — Prov. 
22:15. 

THEN  came  the  days  of  study  in  the  little 
white  school-house  that  stood  on  the  cor- 
ner a  mile  from  our  home.    I  was  the  only 
Salvationist  child  there,  the  other  scholars 
being  church  members.     At  first  they  teased  me 
about  the  Army  with  their  shouting,  their  march- 
ing and  their  drum,  for  they  were  still  a  despised 
people   in    those   days.      I    finally   won    over   the 
hearts  of  the  children,  however,  when  I  invented 
a  drum  from  a  round  cheese  box  and  with  a  ruler 
for  a  drum-stick  and  a  "Blood  and  Fire"  banner 
made  from  a  red  tablecloth  we  marched  round  the 
school  and  played  "Army". 

Everything  went  well  until  it  was  learned  that  I 
had  some  little  talent  for  elocution.  The  distance 
to  the  barracks  being  great,  and  the  churches  seem- 
ing much  more  popular,  I  began  going  to  the  Meth- 
odist church  where  my  father  had  formerly  been  a 
choir  leader.  Once  invited  to  take  part  in  their  en- 
tertainments I  was  soon  received  in  other  churches 
and  appearing  on  the  programs  the  country  round. 
We  received  great  help  and  teaching  along  the  lines 
of  elocution,  dialogues  and  plays  by  the  church  in- 
structors in  this  art.  After  competing  with  others 
in  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  work,  a  silver  and  later  a  gold 
medal  was  awarded  me. 

Except  for  the  temperance  work,  however,  very 
few  of  the  selections  or  plays  were  anything  but 
comic.  Upon  asking  preachers  whether  they  would 

27 


THIS  IS  THAT 

prefer  something  sacred  they  would  invariably 
answer : 

"Oh,  give  us  something  humorous;  something 
comical  to  make  the  people  laugh.  That  last  Irish 
recitation  was  grand.  Give  us  something  like, 
that." 

As  I  recited,  the  audience  would  laugh  and  clap 
and  laugh  again  until  the  tears  came  to  their  eyes, 
and  I  was  very  popular  indeed  with  the  churches  in 
those  days, — a  great  deal  more  so  than  I  am  now, 
mayhap. 

As  years  went  by  I  passed  from  grammar  school 
to  high,  and  became  still  more  interested  in  the  en- 
tertainments of  the  church.  There  were  the  oyster 
suppers,  the  strawberry  festivals,  the  Christmas 
trees,  and  always  the  concerts  to  follow,  for  which 
tickets  were  sold — "to  help  God  pay  His  debts  and 
help  support  the  church,"  I  supposed  then.  But  I 
have  learned  now  that  our  God  is  so  richly  able  to 
supply  the  funds  for  His  work  that  He  need  not 
resort  to  any  such  methods. 

The  praise  and  applause  of  the  people  was  very 
alluring  to  some  of  us  younger  ones,  and  we  often 
talked  together  of  going  on  the  stage,  arguing  that 
the  church  was  giving  us  a  good  training  on  this 
line  and  that  anyway  there  was  not  much  differ- 
ence whether  a  play  or  a  concert  was  given  in  the 
church  or  at  the  theatre. 

My  next  step  on  the  downward  path  was  when  I 
began  reading  novels  from  the  Sunday  School 
library  (for  a  novel  is  a  novel  whether  in  a  paper 
or  a  cloth-bound  cover).  And  when  I  had  devoured 
them  I  learned  where  more  could  be  obtained. 

The  next  luring  of  the  tempter  came  when  I  was 
asked  by  a  member  of  the  choir  as  to  whether  I 
had  been  to  the  moving-picture  theatre  that  week. 
I  told  her: 

"No,"  that  I  had  never  seen  any  motion  pictures 
outside  of  the  church.  She  looked  at  me  in  such  a 

28 


GIRLHOOD 

condescending,  pitying  way  that  my  pride  was 
stung  and  I  decided  to  go.  I  did  not  tell  my  Mother, 
however,  ,and  felt  very  guilty  in  entering  until  I 
saw  several  church  members  and  a  Sunday  School 
teacher  there;  then  I  felt  better  (it  surely  must  be 
all  right  if  they  were  there),  and  settled  down  to 
enjoy  the  pictures. 

Athletic,  and  fond  of  out-door  sports,  next  in  line 
came  costume  skating  carnivals  and  then  my  first 
college  ball'7 — I  was  now  well  advanced  in  the 
high  school.  When  I  brought  home  the  engraved 
invitation  card,  Mother  flatly  refused  her  permis- 
sion for  me  to  go  and  it  took  a  great  deal  of  plead- 
ing and  coaxing  to  gain  an  unwilling  consent.  My 
dress  and  slippers  were  purchased  and  I  went  to 
my  first  dance  radiantly  happy  on  the  exterior,  but 
a  little  heavy  and  conscience-stricken  on  the  inter- 
ior, for  I  knew  that  Mother  was  sad  and  praying 
alone  at  home. 

It  seemed  to  be  a  very  proper  affair,  however. 
My  first  dancing  partner  was  the  Presbyterian 
preacher.  Other  good  ( ? )  church  members  were 
there — surely  Mother  must  be  mistaken  or  a  little 
old-fashioned  in  her  ideas.  How  lovely  it  all  seemed, 
the  orchestra,  the  flowers,  the  attention  paid  me, 
the  fine  clothes,  and  the  well-appointed  luncheon! 

Ah,  sin,  with  what  dazzling  beauty,  with  what 
refinement  and  velvet  dost  thou  cover  thy  claws! 
How  .alluring  are  the  fair  promises  Avith  which 
thou  enticest  the  feet  of  youth !  How  cunning  are 
the  devices  of  the  enemy!  How  smoothly  and 
craftily  he  lays  his  plans  and  Aveaves  the  net 
which  he  draws  ever  tighter  and  tighter,  ilium fng 
the  future  and  its  prospects  with  rose  colors  and 
fair  painted  promises,  the  fruit  of  Avhich,  once 
plucked  crumbles  into  gray  ashes  in  the  hand  of 
him  who  runneth  after  it. 

My  future  and  educational  prospects  looked 
promising.  No  effort  or  labor  was  counted  too 

29 


THIS  IS  THAT 

great  upon  the  part  of  my  parents  to  send  me  to 
school,  and  indeed  it  was  no  little  matter  for  them— 
ten  miles  must  be  covered  each  day,  five  in  the 
morning  and  five  at  night,  on  the  tnain  or  with 
horse  and  carriage,  despite  country  roads,  with 
their  mud  or  rain  or  snow. 

There  was  introduced  into  our  class  room  at  this 
time,  a  text-book  entitled  "High  School  Physical 
Geography/7  which  delved  into  the  problems  of 
earth  formation,  rock  strata,  etc.,  and  learnedly 
described  the  origin  of  life  and  the  process  of  evo- 
lution. There  were  quotations  from  Darwin  and 
other  authorities  on  these  weighty  subjects.  Ex- 
plaining the  origin  of  life  upon  this  planet,  it 
taught  us  that  from  the  sea,  with  its  slime,  seaweed 
and  fungus  growth,  insect  life  appeared.  From 
insect  life  came  animal  life,  and  through  contin- 
uous processes  of  evolution  at  last  man  appeared, 
who,  of  course,  was  higher  than  the  monkeys  or  any 
other  creature. 

How  these  theories  or  teachings  impressed  other 
students  I  can  not  say,  but  they  had  a  remarkable 
effect  upon  me. 

"Man? — a  process  of  evolution? 

— Why,  then  God  had  not  created  him  at  all,  as 
the  Bible  said  He  did — preachers  were  true  when 
they  said  there  were  errors  and  mistakes  in  the 
Bible."  On  and  on  raced  the  thoughts  in  my  young 
mind  until  I  reached  the  point : 

"Well,  then,  if  the  Bible  is  mistaken  in  one  place 
it  is  very  apt  to  be  mistaken  in  others.  Its  informa- 
tion is  not  reliable,  and  I  guess  there's  no  God  at 
all,  and  that's  why  Christians  act  so  pious  in  church 
on  Sundays  and  do  as  they  please  through  the 
week." 

"No,  I  guess  there  is  no  God."  Even  the  exist- 
ence of  the  big  moon  and  the  twinkling  stars  had 
been  explained  by  science.  The  sun,  once  a  great 
mass  of  molten  lava,  had  acquired  a  whirling  mo- 

30 


GIRLHOOD 

tion  and  thrown  off  all  these  other  planets,  earth, 
moon  and  stars. — Nothing  about  God,  just  science 
and  a  logical  outcome  of  conditions  now  revealed, 
by  wise  astronomers  who  had  studied  it  all  out 
through  great  telescopes  (which  had  cost  fabulous 
sums  of  money  and  taken  many  years  to  invent)  ; 
and  therefore  they  knew  all  about  it. 

This  book  raised  so  many  questions  in  my  mind 
that  I  delved  deeper  into  other  infidelistic  theories. 
So  interested  did  I  become  that  I  wrote  an  article 
to  the  "Family  Herald  and  Weekly  Star,"  published 
at  Montreal,  then  Canada's  leading  paper.  My 
inquiries  were  answered  by  Archbishop  Hamilton 
and  many  others.  Arguments  both  for  and  against 
the  book  and  its  teachings  were  brought  out. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  our  pulpits  are  filled  with 
infidels  and  higher  critics  today? 

Out  of  the  letters  that  poured  in  for  months  from 
England,  New  Zealand,  Australia,  and  all  partsf 
of  America,  as  well  as  from  my  own  land,  each 
containing  a  different  explanation,  not  one  said : 

"Child,  the  Bible  is  true.  Take  the  simple  Word 
of  God  and  believe  it  just  as  it  reads."  is- 

The  more  I  read  and  observed  the  lives  of  Christ- 
ians, the  more  skeptical  of  the  reality  of  God  I 
became.  (How  I  could  ever  have  doubted  is  today 
a  puzzle  and  a  shame  to  me.)  The  devil  must 
have  blinded  my  eyes  for  a  time  to  the  genuine 
Christians  about  me.  All  that  I  could  see  was 
empty  profession.  I  saw  men  singing  in  the  choir 
or  sitting  in  the  pews  on  Sunday  and  attending  all 
sorts  of  worldly  functions  during  the  week.  I  be- 
gan reading  my  Bible,  to  see  whether  it  contra- 
dicted itself  and  how  it  compared  with  the  books 
which  I  had  read.  Oh,  I  must  know  the  truth — 
was  there  anything  in  religion? 

Every  time  I  had  an  opportunity  I  questioned 
and  cross-questioned  each  Christian  that  I  could 
get  hold  of.  But  I  did  not  seem  to  get  far.  My 

31 


THIS  IS  THAT 

first  attempt  was  made  upon  my  Mother.  I  had 
been  thinking  earnestly  upon  the  subject,  and  just 
as  she  was  coming  up  the  steep  cellar  steps  with 
a  pan  of  milk  in  her  hands,  I  met  her  with  the 
question  : 

"Mother,  how  do  you  know  there  is  a  God?" 

Poor  dear,  she  was  so  surprised  that  she  nearly 
fell  backwards,  down  the  steps.  She  explained 
things  the  best  she  knew  how,  bringing  forth  Scrip- 
tures, and  pointing  to  creation  with  all  its  wonders 
as  proving  the  handiwork  of  a  Creator. 

Each  attempt  at  explanation  I  met  with  the 
learned  words  of  those  books  and  the  superior  ( ? ) 
twentieth-century  wisdom  of  my  seventeen  sum- 
mers— books  and  wisdom  which  left  mothers  and 
Bibles  far  behind.  Her  arguments  seemed  to 
shrink  to  nothing,  and  her  eyes  opened  with  aston- 
ishment as  she  sat  down  suddenly  on  the  kitchen 
chair,  unable  to  get  a  word  in  edgeways. 

My  next  attempt  was  made  upon  the  minister 
when  he  came .  to  our  house  to  tea.  Mother  was 
out  in  the  kitchen  preparing  the  proverbial  minis- 
terial chicken  dinner,  but  I  had  business  in  the 
parlor,  ostensibly  displaying  the  family  album,  but 
in  reality  endeavoring  to  probe  him  with  the  ques- 
tions upon  my  mind. 

"Does  the  Lord  ever  perform  any  miracles  or  heal 
any  sick  folks  now?"  I  asked. 

"Why,  no  child,  the  day  of  miracles  is  over,"  was 
his  surprised  reply.  "People  are  expected  to  use 
the  intelligence  and  wisdom  the  Lord  has  given 
them  along  medical  and  surgical  lines — these  are 
really  miraculous,  you  know." 

"But  doesn't  it  say,  over  here  in  James  5:14,  if 
any  are  sick  among  you  to  'let  him  call  for  the  eld- 
ers of  the  church;  and  let  them  pray  over  him,  an- 
ointing him  with  oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord: 
And  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,  and 
they  shall  rccorcr'? 

32 


GIRLHOOD 

"And  is  there  not  a  scripture  that  says,  'Jesus 
Christ  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  today,  and  for- 
ever f  and  'He  that  believeth  on  Me,  the  works 
that  I  do  shall  he  do  also;  and  greater  works  than 
these  shaill  he  do;  because  I  go  unto  my  Father'? 

"How  do  you  reconcile  the  fact  that  the  Lord  no 
longer  does  such  miraculous  things,  with  these 
scriptures?" 

My  questions  were  evaded,  and  I  was  made  to 
feel  that  I  was  but  a  mere  child,  and  therefor" 
could  not  understand  these  matters.  They  were 
never  explained  to  my  satisfaction. 

Alarmed  over  my  attitude  and  questions,  my 
Mother  asked  me  to  join  some  church.  When  I 
made  excuses  she  offered  to  take  me  to  all  the  dif- 
ferent churches,  asking  me  to  study  the  teachings 
of  each  of  them  and  to  join  the  one  that  seemed 
best.  I  replied  that  I  felt  I  was  doing  enough 
church  work  now,  with  the  entertainments  and  con- 
certs, and  added,  in  a  self-righteous  way,  that  I 
thought  I  was  just  as  good  as  any  of  the  others — I 
didn't  see  any  particular  difference  in  our  lives, 
whether  I  was  a  member  of  the  church  or  not  did 
not  matter. 

"Well,  let  us  go  to  the  Salvation  Army  special 
meetings  tonight.  It  is  a  long  time  since  we  have 
been  there  together." 

Poor  Mother !  Will  I  ever  forget  her  face  when 
she  found  they  were  having  an  entertainment  there 
that  night,  and  the  first  selection  rendered  after 
we  entered  was: 

"High  diddle,  diddle, 
The  cat  and  the  fiddle, 
The  cow  jumped  over  the  moon !" 
acted  out  by  one  of  the  local  officers,  amid  the 
applause  of  the  laughing  audience.    He  was  dressed 
to  represent  a  colored  minstrel. 

Later  we  attended  the  special  services  being  con- 
ducted by  the  Brigadier,  his  wife  and  daughter 

33 


THIS  IS  THAT 

who  invited  ine  very  sweetly  to  give  my  heart  to 
Jesus.  I  argued  with  her  that  there  was  no  God, 
nothing  in  the  Bible.  She  seemed  to  get  into  deep 
waters  and  went  for  her  mother,  who  also  begged 
me  to  come  to  the  .altar.  Then  they  sent  for  the 
father,  and  before  long  I  was  the  center  of  a  group. 
my  Mother  on  the  outskirts,  listening  with  blush- 
ing face  while  I  set  forth,  in  my  ignorance,  my 
opinion  regarding  evolution. 

Oh,  dear  Jesus,  how  could  I  ever  have  doubted 
You  when  You  have  been  so  good,  so  merciful  and 
so  true  to  me  all  the  days  of  my  life! 

Mother  cried  bitterly  all  the  long  drive  home,  and 
all  the  reproach  she  Laid  upon  me  was : 

"Oh,  Aimee,  I  never  dreamed  that  I  should  brim1 
up  a  daughter  who  would  talk  as  you  have  before 
those  people  tonight!  After  all  my  years  as  a 
Christian,  after  my  prayers  and  my  work  in  that 
corps,  you  of  all  people,  to  talk  like  this!  Oh, 
where  have  I  failed?  Oh !  OH ! !  O-H ! ! !" 

Conscience-stricken,  and  shamed  before  her  grief, 
I  fled  to  my  room,  as  soon  as  we  arrived,  to  think 
things  over.  I  certainly  loved  my  Mother ;  to  cause 
her  grief  and  sorrow  Avas  the  last  thing  in  this  wide 
world  which  I  wished  to  do — "and  yet — and  yet." 

Not  pausing  to  light  the  lamp,  I  went  over  to  my 
bedroom  window,  threw  it  open  wide  and  sat  down 
on  the  floor  with  my  elbows  on  the  window-sill,  my 
chin  propped  on  my  hands,  and  gazed  reflectively 
up  at  the  starry  floors  of  heaven  and  at  the  great 
white  silvery  moon  sailing  majestically  toward  me 
from  the  eastern  sky,  before  I  finished  my  broken 
sentence — "I  wonder  if  there  really  is  a  God? 
Who  is  right?  What  is  the  truth?" 

The  white  mantle  of  snow  which  covered  the 
fields  and  the  trees,  glistened  in  the  clear,  frosty 
air,  and — 

My !  how  big  that  moon  looked  up  there,  and  how 
ten  million  stars  seemed  to  wink  and  blink  and 

34 


GIRLHOOD 

twinkle!  I  drew  a  comforter  round  me  and  sat  on 
and  on,  unmindful  of  the  cold,  looking  up  at  the 
milky  way,  the  big  dipper,  and  other  familiar  lumi- 
naries. 

— Surely,  there  m-u-s-t  be  a  God  up  there  back 
of  them  all.  They  seemed  to  breathe  and  emanate 
from  His  very  presence  and  nearness. 

At  school  we  had  studied  the  planets  and  how 
each  rotated  and  revolved  upon  its  own  axis,  and  in 
its  own  orbit  without  friction  or  confusion.  It  was 
all  so  big,  so  high,  so  above  the  reach  and  ken  of 
mortal  man — surely  a  DIVINE  hand  must  hold 
and  control  this  wonderful  solar  system — 

Why !  how  near  God  seemed — right  now ! 

Suddenly,  without  stopping  to  think,  I  threw 
both  arms  impulsively  out  of  the  window  and, 
reaching  toward  heaven,  cried: 

"Oh  God! — If  there  be  a  God — reveal  Yourself 
tome!" 

The  cry  came  from  my  very  heart.  In  reality,  a 
whisper  wias  all  that  came  from  my  lips — but  just 
that  whisper  from  an  honest,  longing  heart,  was 
enough  to  echo  through  the  stars  and  reach  the 
Father's  throne.  Up  there,  He  whose  ear  is  ever 
open  to  the  cries  of  His  little  children,  heard  me 
and  answered.  Bless  His  Name. 

Oh,  if  every  doubter  and  professed  infidel  would 
just  breathe  that  one  sincere  prayer  to  God,  He 
would  reveal  Himself  to  them  as  He  did  to  me,  for, 
He  is  no  respecter  of  persons.  Hallelujah ! 


35 


THIS  IS  THAT 


CHAPTER  Y. 

SALVATION    AND    THE    BAPTISM    OF    THE 
HOLY  SPIRIT. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  before  they  call,  I  will 
answer;  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will  hear."  Isa. 
65:24. 

OUR  prayer-answering  God  who  sitteth  up- 
on the  throne,  whose  ear  is  ever  open 
to  our  017,  and  whose  heart  is  touched 
by  our  infirmities,  was  already  answer- 
ing  the   cry   of   this   poor,    unworthy   child.      He 
had  set  on  foot  a  chain  of  events  which  was  to  lead 
not  only  to  the  salvation  and  baptism  of  my  own 
soul,  but  which  was  to  lead  me  out  into  His  vine- 
vard  and  make  me  a  worker  in  His  dear  service. 


It  was  just  a  few  days  after  my  prayer  at  the 
open  window  of  my  bedroom  that  (my  Father  hav- 
ing come  into  school  for  me)  Ave  were  driving  along 
Main  Street  on  the  way  home,  eagerly  talking  over 
and  planning  my  parts  in  the  grand  Christmas 
affairs  and  concerts  in  the  various  churches  and 
halls  then  looming  above  us.  How  pretty  the  store 
windows  were  in  their  Christmas  dress  of  green 
and  red  and  tinsel! 

But  look!  Over  there  on  the  left  hand  side  of 
the  street,  there  was  a  new  sign  on  a  window  which 
I  had  not  seen  before,  and  it  read : 


PENTECOSTAL  MISSION 

MEETINGS  EVERY  NIGHT 

ALL  DAY  SUNDAY 


Turning  to  my  Father,  I  said : 

36 


SALVATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  OP  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

"Daddy,  I'd  like  to  go  in  there  tomorrow  night. 
I  believe  that's  the  place  I  have  heard  about  where 
they  jump  and  dance  and  fall  under  the  power,  and 
dp  such  strange  things.  It  would  be  loads  of  fun 
to  go  and  see  them." 

And  thus  it  was  that  the  next  evening  found  us 
seated  in  the  back  seats  (where  we  could  see  it  all) 
of  the  little  Pentecostal  Mission  which  had  recent- 
ly come  to  town.  We  were  to  have  a  rehearsal  in 
the  town  hall  for  one  of  our  plays,  later  on  in  the 
evening.  This  had  just  left  me  time  to  come  in  to 
the  Mission. 

They  seemed  to  be  a  very  ordinary  lot  of  people, 
none  of  the  wealthy  or  well-known  citizens  of  the 
town  were  there,  and  dressed  as  I  was,  with  the 
flowers  on  my  hat,  a  gold  chain  and  locket,  and 
rings  on  my  fingers,  I  felt  just  a  little  bit  above 
the  status  of  those  round  about  me,  and  looked  on 
with  an  amused  air  as  they  shouted,  danced  and 
prayed. 

A  man,  whom  I  knew  to  be  one  of  the  town  milk- 
men, shook  from  head  to  foot  under  the  power,  then 
fell  backward  and  lay  stretched  out  on  the  floor 
praising  the  Lord.  At  all  these  things  I  giggled 
foolishly,  not  understanding  it  and  thinking  it  all 
very  laughable. 

Soon  a  tall  young  man,  (six  feet  two),  rose  to 
his  feet  on  the  platform  and  taking  his  Bible  in 
his  hand,  opened  it  and  began  to  read.  I  could 
not  help  admiring  his  frank,  open,  kindly  face, 
the  Irish-blue  eyes  with  the  light  of  heaven  in 
them,  and  the  bushy  hair,  one  brown  curl  of 
which  would  insist  on  falling  clown  close  to  his 
•eye,  no  matter  how  often  he  brushed  it  back  with 
his  fingers. 

As  he  spoke  with  earnest  zeal  I  took  him  in  from 
head  to  foot  (little  knowing  that  this  young  man 
was  soon  to  be  my  husband).  His  text  was  found 
in  the  second  chapter  of  Acts,  38th  and  39th  verses. 

37 


THIS  IS  THAT 

(There  is  one  thing  about  a  Pentecostal  meeting. 
You  cannot  go  there  very  long  without  learning 
that  there  is  a  second  chapter  to  the  book  of  Acts. 
I  learned  this  in  my  first  meeting.) 

The  evangelist — Robert  Semple,  by  name — be: 
gan  his  discourse  with  the  first  word  of  his  text: 

"Repent."  Oh  how  he  did  repeat  that  word — 
Repent!  REPENT!!  R-E-P-E-N-T ! ! !  over  and  over 
again.  How  I  did  wish  he  would  stop  saying  that 
awful  word.  It  seemed  to  pierce  like  an  arrow 
through  my  heart,  for  he  was  preaching  under 
divine  inspiration  and  in  pOAver  and  demonstration 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  really  spoke  as  though  he 
believed  there  was  a  Jesus  and  a  Holy  Spirit,  not 
some  vague,  mythical,  intangible  shadow,  some- 
thing away  off  yonder  in  the  clouds,  but  a  real,  liv- 
ing, vital,  tangible,  moving  reality  dwelling  in  our 
hearts  and  lives — making  us  His  temple — causing 
us  to  walk  in  Godliness,  holiness  and  adoration  in 
His  presence. 

There  were  no  announcements  of  oyster  suppers 
or  Christmas  entertainments  or  sewing  circles 
made — no  appeal  for  money.  Not  even  a  collection 
was  taken.  It  was  just  God,  God,  God  from  one, 
end  to  the  other,  and  his  words  seemed  to  rain 
down  upon  me,  and  every  one  of  them  hurt  some 
particular  part  of  my  spirit  and  life  until  I  could 
not  tell  where  I  was  hurt  the  worst. 

"Repent!"  The  evangelist  went  on  to  say  that 
if  the  love  of  the  world  was  in  us  the  love  of  the 
Father  was  not  there:  theatres,  moving  pictures, 
dancing,  novels,  fancy-dress  skating  rinks  (why, 
it  just  looked  as  if  somebody  had  told  him  I  was 
there,  so  vividly  did  he  picture  my  own  life  and 
walk),  worldly  and  rag-time  music,  etc.,  he  con- 
demned wholesale,  and  declared  that  all  the  people 
who  were  wrapped  up  in  this  sort  of  thing  were  of 
the  devil,  and  were  on  their  way  to  hell,  and  that 
unless  they  repented  and  that  right  speedily,  re- 

38 


SALVATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

uouncing  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  they 
would  be  lost — eternally  damned  forever. 

I  did  not  do  .any  more  laughing,  I  assure  you.  I 
sat  up  straight  in  iny  seat.  With  eyes  and  ears 
wide  open  I  drank  in  every  word  he  said.  After 
he  had  finished  with  the  word  "Repent,"  and  ex- 
plained what  true  salvation  meant — the  death,  bur- 
ial and  resurrection  that  we  would  know  as  we 
were  identified  with  our  Lord,  he  began  to  preach 
on  the  next  verse — 

"And  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
For  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  children, 
and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the 
Lord  our  God  snail  call." 

Here  he  began  to  preach  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  declaring  that  the  message  of  salvation  and 
the  incoming  of  the  Spirit  should  be  preached  side 
by  side  and  hand  in  hand,  and  that  for  a  Christian 
to  live  without  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
to  live  in  an  abnormal  condition  not  in  accordance 
with  God's  wishes.  He  told  how  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  received  in  Bible  days  and  how  the  recip- 
ients of  the  Spirit  had  spoken  in  other  tongues — 
languages  they  had  never  learned — as  the  Spirit 
gave  them  utterance. 

He  put  particular  emphasis  on  the  "other 
tongues"  spoken  of  in  Acts  2 :4,  and  boldly  affirmed 
that  this  was  the  Bible  evidence  of  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

"Tongues?"  said  I  to  myself — "Tongues? — why, 
I  wonder  what  that  is?  I  never  remember  having 
heard  of  anything  like  that  in  the  Bible  before." 

Then,  to  add  still  more  to  my  amazement,  the 
speaker  himself  suddenly  broke  out  talking  in 
tongues,  in  a  loud  voice,  with  his  eyes  closed  and 
his  hands  outstretched  in  my  direction. 

To  me  it  was  the  voice  of  God  thundering  into 
my  soul  awful  words  of  conviction  and  condemna- 
tion, and  though  the  message  Avas  spoken  in 

39 


THIS  IS  THAT? 

tongues  it  seemed  as  though  God  had  said  to  me — 

"YOU  are  a  poor,  lost,  miserable,  hell-deserving 
sinner !"  I  want  to  say  right  here  that  I  kneic 
this  was  God  speaking  by  His  Spirit  through  the 
lips  of  clay.  There  is  a  verse  in  the  14th  chapter 
of  I  Corinthians  which  siays  the  speaking  in  tongues 
is  a  sign  to  the  unbeliever.  This  was  certainly 
true  in  my  case.  From  the  moment  I  heard  that 
young  man  speak  with  tongues  to  this  day  I  have 
never  doubted  for  the  shadow  of  a  second  that  there 
was  a  God,  and  that  He  had  shown  me  my  true 
condition  as  a  poor,  lost,  miserable,  hell-deserving 
sinner. 

No  one  had  ever  spoken  to  me  like  this  before. 
I  had  been  petted,  loved  and  perhaps  a  little 
spoiled:  told  how  smart  and  good  I  was.  But 
thank  God  that  He  tells  the  truth.  He  does  not 
varnish  us  nor  pat  us  on  the  back  or  give  us  any 
little  sugar-coated  pills,  but  shows  us  just  where 
we  stand,  vile  and  sinful  and  undone,  outside  of 
Jesus  and  His  precious  blood. 

All  my  amusement  and  haughty  pride  had  gone. 
My  very  soul  had  been  stripped  before  God — 
there  was  a  God,  and  I  was  not  ready  to  meet  Him. 
Oh,  how  could  I  have  looked  down  upon  these  dear 
people  and  felt  that  I  was  better  than  they?  Why, 
I  was  not  even  worthy  to  black  their  shoes.  They 
were  saints  and  I  was  a  sinner. 

We  had  to  slip  out  early,  before  the  service  was 
over,  and  how  I  got  through  the  rehearsal  I  can 
not  say,  but  one  thing  I  knew,  and  that  is  that  dur- 
ing the  next  seventy-two  hours  I  lived  through  the 
most  miserable  three  days  I  had  ever  known  up  to 
that  time. 

Conviction!  Oh!  I  could  scarcely  eat  or  rest 
or  sleep.  Study  was  out  of  the  question.  "Poor, 
lost,  miserable,  hell-deserving  sinner"  rang  in  my 
ears  over  and  over  .again.  I  could  see  those  closed 
eyes  and  that  outstretched  hand  that  pointed  to 

40 


SALVATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

my  shrinking,  sinful  soul  that  was  bared  before 
the  eyes  of  my  Maker. 

I  began  enumerating  the  many  things  which  I 
would  have  to  give  up  in  order  to  become  a  Christ- 
ian— there  was  the  dancing.  I  was  willing  to  part 
with  that, — the  novels,  the  theatre,  my  worldly 
instrumental  music.  I  asked  myself  about  each 
of  them  and  found  that  I  did  not  count  them  dear 
as  compared  with  the  joy  of  salvation  and  know- 
ing my  sins  forgiven. 

There  was  just  one  thing,  however,  that  I  found 
myself  unwilling  and  seemingly  unable  to  do.  I 
knew  that  I  could  not  be  a  Christian  and  recite 
those  foolish  Irish  recitations  and  go  through 
those  plays  and  dialogues.  A  child  of  God  must  be 
holy  and  consecrated,  with  a  conversation  covered 
with  the  blood  of  Jesus.  My  Bible  said  that  even 
for  one  idle  word  (let  alone  foolish  words),  we 
should  have  to  give  an  account  before  the  judg- 
ment throne  of  God.  Yet  it  was  too  late  now  to 
cancel  my  promises  for  Christmas,  too  late  to  get 
others  to  fill  my  place.  Evidently  there  was  noth- 
ing to  do  but  wait  until  after  Christmas  in  order 
to  become  a  Christian. 

But  how  could  I  wait?  I  was  desperately  afraid. 
I  trembled  with  conviction.  It  seemed  as  though 
every  moment  which  I  lived  outside  of  God  and 
without  repentance  toward  Him  was  lived  in  the 
most  awful  peril  and  gravest  danger  of  being  cast 
into  hell  without  mercy.  Oh,  that  every  sinner 
who  reads  these  words  might  feel  the  same  awful 
conviction  upon  his  soul! 

The  second  and  third  day  I  fell  to  praying  some- 
thing like  this : 

"Oh  God,  I  do  want  to  be  a  Christian.  I  want  to 
ever  love  and  serve  You.  I  want  to  confess  my 
sin  and  be  washed  in  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ, 
But  oh,  please  just  let  me  live  until  after  Christ- 
mas, and  then  I  will  give  my  heart  to  You.  Have 

41 


THIS  IS  THAT 

mercy  on  ine,  Lord.  Oh,  don't,  don't  let  me  die 
until  after  Christmas." 

Many  people  smile  now  as  I  testify  of  that  awful 
terror  that  seized  upon  my  soul,  but  the  eternal 
welfare  of  my  soul  was  at  stake — for  me  it  was 
going  to  be  life  or  death,  heaven  or  hell  forever. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  day,  while  driving  home 
from  school,  I  could  stand  it  no  longer.  The  low- 
ering skies  above,  the  trees,  the  fields,  the  very 
road  beneath  me  seemed  to  look  down  upon  me 
with  displeasure,  and  I  could  see  written  every- 
where— 

"Poor,    lost,    miserable,    hell-deserving   sinner!" 

Utterly  at  the  end  of  myself — not  stopping  to 
think  what  preachers  or  entertainment  commit- 
tees or  anyone  else  would  think — I  threw  up  my 
hands,  and-  all  alone  in  that  country  road,  I 
screamed  aloud  toward  the  heavens: 

"Oh,  Lord  God,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner!" 
Immediately  the  most  wonderful  change  took  place 
in  my  soul.  Darkness  passed  away  and  light  en- 
tered. The  sky  was  filled  with  brightness,  the 
trees,  the  fields,  and  the  little  snow  birds  flitting 
to  and  fro  were  praising  the  Lord  and  smiling  upon 
me. 

So  conscious  was  I  of  the  pardoning  blood  of 
Jesus  that  I  seemed  to  feel  it  flowing  over  me. 
I  discovered  that  my  face  was  bathed  in  tears, 
which  dropped  on  my  hands  as  I  held  the  reins. 
And  without  effort  or  apparent  thought  on  my 
part  I  was  singing  that  old,  familiar  hymn: 

"Take  my  life  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee; 
Take  my  moments  and  my  days, 
Let  them  flow  in  ceaseless  praise." 

I  was  singing  brokenly  between  my  sobs: 

"Take  my  life  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee." 

42 


SALVATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

My  whole  soul  was  flowing  out  toward  God,  my 
Father. 

"M-Y  F-A-T-H-E-R!"  Oh,  glory  to  Jesus!  I 
had  a  heavenly  Father!  No  more  need  for  fear, 
but  His  love  and  kindness  and  protection  were  now 
for  me. 

When  I  came  to  the  part  in  the  song  that  said 
"Take  my  hands  and  let  them  move 
At  the  impulse  of  Thy  love" 

I  knew  there  would  be  no  more  worldly  music  for 
me,  and  it  has  been  hymns  from  that  time  forth. 
And  when  I  sang — 

"Take  my  feet  .and  let  them  be 

Swift  and  beautiful  for  Thee'7 
I  knew  that  did  not  mean  at  the  dance  hall  nor 
the  skating  rink.     Bless  the  Lord. 

"Take  my  lips  and  let  them  sing 
Always,  only,  for  my  King." 
No  more  foolish  recitations  and  rag-time  songs. 
"Oh,  Jesus,  I  love  Thee, 
I  know  Thou  art  mine; 
For  Thee  all  the  follies 
Of  sin  I  resign." 

Song  after  song  burst  from  my  lips.  I  shouted 
aloud  &nd  praised  God  all  the  way  home.  I  had 
been  redeemed! 

Needless  to  say  I  did  not  take  part  in  the  enter- 
tainments, and  many  in  our  town  thought  me 
fanatical  and  very  foolish.  Nevertheless  the  suc- 
ceeding days  were  brim  full  of  joy  and  happiness 
How  dearly  I  loved  God's  Word!  I  wanted  it 
under  my  pillow  when  I  went  to  sleep,  and  in  my, 
hands  when  my  eyes  opened  in  the  morning.  At 
school,  where  I  used  to  have  a  novel  hidden  away 
inside  of  my  Algebra  and  Geometry,  there  was  now 
a  little  New  Testament,  and  I  was  studying  each 
passage  that  referred  to  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Of  all  the  promises  in  which  I  found  comfort 

43 


THIS  IS  THAT 

there  was  none,  I  believe,  that  compared  with  the 
simple  promises  of  Matthew  7:  7  to  11. 

"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye 
shall  find;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you : 

"For  everyone  that  asketh  receiveth  and  he  that 
seeketh  findeth;  and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall 
be  opened."  Here  He  assured  me  that  if  I  asked 
bread  He  would  not  give  me  a  stone,  also  that  He 
was  more  willing  to  give  me  the  Holy  Spirit  than 
earthly  parents  were  to  give  good  gifts  to  their 
children. 

I  would  get  about  so  far  with  my  reading,  and 
Oh,  the  Bible  seemed  to  me  all  so  new,  so  living  and 
speaking,  (and  it  was  God  speaking  to  me),  that 
unable  to  wait  another  moment,  I  would  excuse 
myself  from  the  room,  go  down  to  the  basement, 
fall  upon  my  knees  and  begin  to  pray: 

"Oh  Lord,  baptize  me  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Lord,  you  said  the  promise  was  unto  even  as  many 
as  were  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our 
God  should  call.  Now  Lord,  you've  called  me,  the 
promise  is  unto  me;  fill  me  just  now." 

The  girls  found  me  thus  praying  and  did  not 
know  what  to  make  of  me,  so  utterly  was  I  changed. 
No  more  putting  glue  in  teacher's  chair  or  helping 
to  lock  him  in  the  gymnasium,  or  practising  dance 
steps  in  the  corridors  at  noon  hour.  A  wonderful 
change  had  taken  place — all  old  things  had  passed 
away  and  all  things  had  become  new.  I  had  been 
born  again  and  was  a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Each  day  the  hunger  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  became  stronger  and  stronger,  more  and 
more  intense  until,  no  longer  contented  to  stay  in 
school,  my  mind  no  longer  on  my  studies,  I  would 
slip  away  to  the  tarrying  meetings  where  the  dear 
saints  met  to  pray  for  those  who  were  seeking  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

What  wonderful  hours  those  were!  What  a  reve- 
lation to  my  soul !  It  was  as  though  heaven  had 

44 


SALVATION  AND  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

come  down  to  earth.  So  much  of  the  time  was  I 
away  from  school  that  I  began  to  fall  behind  in 
my  studies  for  the  first  time,  .and  although  the  final 
examinations  were  near,  I  could  not  make  myself 
take  any  interest  in  Algebra  or  Geometry  or 
Chemistry,  or  anything  but  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  preparing  to  meet  my  soon-coming  Sav- 
ior in  the  air. 

Then  came  the  day  when  the  principal  of  the 
High  School  sent  a  letter  to  my  Mother  which  told 
her  that  unless  I  paid  more  attention  to  my  studies 
I  was  certainly  going  to  fail. 

And  to  make  matters  worse,  the  same  day  one 
of  the  S.  A.  officers  came  to  call  upon  Mother,  say- 
ing: 

"Now,  Sister,  we  don't  mind  so  much  the  other 
people  going  to  that  Pentecostal  Mission,  but  we 
really  are  surprised  and  think  you  do  wrong  in 
letting  your  daughter  go.  You  being  connected 
with  the  work  for  so  many  years,  it  sets  a  bad 
example  to  other  people  for  you  to  allow  her  to 
be  in  any  way  associated  with  them."  They  told 
her  also  that  this  so-called  power  was  all  excite- 
ment or  hypnotism  and  false. 

When  I  went  home  that  night  Mother  was  wait- 
ing for  me.  She  gave  me  a  very  serious  talking 
to,  and  wound  up  by  issuing  the  ultimatum: 

"Now,  if  I  ever  hear  of  your  leaving  school  and 
going  down  to  that  Mission  again,  or  to  the  tarry- 
ing meeting's,  I  will  have  to  keep  you  home  alto- 
gether. I  will  not  have  you  talked  about  in  this 
way." 

I  went  to  school  on  the  train  the  next  morning 
as  the  roads  were  banked  high  with  snow,  and  all 
the  way  in  I  was  looking  out  of  the  window  at  the 
falling  flakes  of  snow  and  praying  for  the  Lord  to 
fix  it  all  some  way  so  that  I  should  be  able  to 
knock  until  He  opened  or  else  to  baptize  me  at 
once. 

45 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Walking  from  the  train  to  High  School  it 
was  necessary  to  pass  both  the  Mission  and  the 
Sister's  home  where  I  often  went  to  tarry  for  the 
baptism.  As  I  went  past  the  latter  I  looked  long- 
ingly at  the  windows,  hoping  that  she  might  be 
there  and  that  I  could  speak  to  her  from  the  side- 
walk without  going  in  and  thus  disobeying  Moth- 
er's command,  but  not  a  sign  of  her  did  I  see. 

I  walked  slowly  past,  looking  sadly  and  hun- 
grily back  all  the  way;  then  finally  came  to  a  halt 
on  the  sidewalk  and  said  to  myself : 

"Well,  here  now,  Jesus  is  coming  soon  and  you 
know  it  is  more  important  for  you  to  receive  the 
Holy  Spirit  than  to  pass  all  the  examinations  in 
the  world.  You  need  the  Holy  Spirit — oil  in  your 
vessel  with  your  lamp — in  order  to  be  ready  for 
His  appearing. 

"As  you  have  to  make  a  choice  between  going  to 
school  and  seeking  the  baptism  I  guess  you  won't 
go  to  school  at  all  today,  but  will  just  go  back  to 
the  sister's  house  and  make  a  whole  day  of  seeking 
the  baptism." 

With  this  I  turned  and  walked  quickly  back  to 
the  house,  rang  the  door  bell  and  went  in.  I  told 
the  sister  my  dilemma,  and  she  said  quietly : 

"Let's  tell  Father  all  about  it."  So  we  got  down 
and  began  to  pray.  She  asked  the  Lord  in  her 
prayer  either  to  baptize  me  then  and  there  or  to 
arrange  it  some  way  that  I  could  stay  until  I  re- 
ceived my  baptism. 

The  Lord  heard  this  prayer,  and  outside  the  win- 
dow the  snow  which  had  been  falling  in  light 
flakes,  began  to  come  down  like  a  blinding  blizzard. 
My  heavenly  Father  sent  out  His  angels  to  stir  up 
some  of  those  big,  old,  fleecy  clouds  of  His,  and 
down  came  the  snow  and — 

causing  the  window-panes  to  rattle,  and  one  of  our 
old-fashioned  Canadian  blizzards  was  on. 

The  entire  day  was  spent  in  prayer  and  at  night 

46 


SALVATION    AND    THE    BAPTISM    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

on  going  to  the  depot  to  see  about  my  train  home, 
the  ticket  agent  said,  through  the  window : 

"Sorry,  Miss,  but  the  train  is  not  running  to- 
night. The  roads  are  blocked  with  snow.  We  ape 
not  able  to  get  through."  Oh,  Hallelujah!  I  was 
not  sorry  ,a  bit. 

Then  the  thought  came — "This  will  not  do  you 
much  good,  for  you  will  have  to  call  Mother  on  the 
telephone  and  she  will  ask  you  to  go  to  her  friend's 
home  to  stay,  and  warn  you  not  to  go  near  the 
Mission."  But  when  I  went  to  the  telephone  and 
gave  the  number,  Central  said : 

"Sorry,  wires  all  down  on  account  of  the  storm." 
This  time  I  did  shout  "Glory"  and  ran  almost  all 
the  way  back  to  the  sister's  home. 

The  storm  increased,  and  as  fast  as  the  men  en- 
deavored to  open  a  pathway,  the  Lord  filled  it  in 
with  mountains  of  white  snow,  until  at  last  all 
thought  of  getting  through  while  the  storm  lasted 
was  .abandoned. 

Oh,  how  earnestly  I  sought  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit.  Sometimes  when  people  come  to  the  altar 
now  and  sit  themselves  down  in  a  comfortable  posi- 
tion, prop  their  heads  up  on  one  hand,  and  begin 
to  ask  God  in  a  languid,  indifferent  way  for  the 
Spirit,  it  seems  to  me  that  they  do  not  know  what 
real  seeking  is. 

Time  was  precious,  for  while  man  was  working 
so  hard  to  shovel  out  the  snow,  and  God  had  His 
big  clouds  all  working  to  shovel  it  in,  I  must  do 
my  part  in  seeking  with  all  my  heart. 

Friday  I  waited  before  the  Lord  until  midnight. 
Saturday  morning,  rising  at  the  break  of  day,  be- 
fore anyone  was  astir,  in  the  house,  and  going  into 
the  parlor,  I  kneeled  down  by  the  big  Morris  chair 
in  the  corner,  with  a  real  determination  in  my 
heart. 

My  Bible  had  told  me  "the  kingdom  of  heaven 

47 


THIS  IS  THAT 

suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent  take  it  by  force." 
Matt.  11 :12.  I  read  the  parable  again  of  the  man 
who  had  knocked  for  bread  and  found  that  it  was 
not  because  he  was  his  friend,  but  because  of  his 
importunity,  that  the  good  man  within  the  house 
had  risen  up  and  given  him  as  many  loaves  as  he 
had  need  of.  Now  Jesus  wag  my  friend;  He  had 
bidden  me  knock,  and  assured  me  that  He  would 
open  unto  me.  He  had  invited  me  to  ask,  promis- 
ing that  I  should  receive,  and  that  the  empty  He 
would  not  turn  hungry  away.  I  began  to  seek  in 
desperate  earnest,  and  remember  saying: 

"Oh,  Lord,  I  am  so  hungry  for  your  Holy  Spirit. 
You  have  told  me  that  in  the  day  when  I  seek  with 
my  whole  heart  you  will  be  found  of  me.  Now, 
Lord,  I  am  going  to  stay  right  here  until  you  pour 
out  upon  me  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
whom  you  commanded  me  to  tarry,  if  I  die  of  star- 
vation. I  am  so  hungry  for  Him  I  can't  wait  an- 
other day.  I  will  not  eat  another  meal  until  you 
baptize  me." 

You  ask  if  I  was  not  afraid  of  getting  a  wrong 
spirit  or  being  hypnotized,  as  my  parents  feared. 
There  was  no  such  fear  in  my  heart.  I  trusted  my 
heavenly  Father  implicity  according  to  Luke  11 :11, 
wherein  He  (assured  me  that  if  I  asked  for  bread 
He  would  not  give  me  a  stone.  I  knew  that  my 
Lord  was  not  bestowing  serpents  and  scorpions  on 
His  blood-washed  children  when  they  asked  for 
bread.  Had  He  not  said,  if  your  earthly  fathers 
know  how  to  bestow  good  gifts  upon  their  children, 
"how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him?"  Lu.  11 :13. 

After  praying  thus  earnestly, — storming  heaven, 
as  it  were,  with  my  pleadings  for  the  Holy  Spirit, 
a  quietness  seemed  to  steal  over  me,  the  holy  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord  to  envelop  me.  The  Voice  of  the 
Lord  spoke  tenderly : 

"Now,  child,  cease  your  strivings  and  your  beg- 

48 


SALVATION    AND    THE    BAPTISM    OF   THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

ging;  just  begin  to  praise  Me,  and  in  simple,  child- 
like faith,  receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Oh,  it  was  not  hard  to  praise  Him.  He  had  be- 
come so  near  and  so  inexpressibly  dear  to  my  heart. 
Hallelujah!  Without  effort  on  my  part  I  began  to 
say: 

"Glory  to  Jesus!  Glory  to  Jesus!!  GLORY  TO 
JESUS !!!"  Each  time  that  I  said  "Glory  to 
Jesus!"  it  seemed  to  come  from  a  deeper  place  in 
my  being  than  the  last,  and  in  a  deeper  voice,  until 
great  waves  of  "Glory  to  Jesus"  were  rolling  from 
my  toes  up ;  such  adoration  and  praise  I  had  never 
known  possible. 

All  at  once  my  hands  and  arms  began  to  shake, 
gently  at  first,  then  violently,  until  my  whole  body 
was  shaking  under  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
I  did  not  consider  this  at  all  strange,  as  I  knew 
how  the  batteries  we  experimented  with  in  the  lab- 
oratory at  college  hummed  and  shook  and  trem- 
bled under  the  power  of  electricity,  and  there  was 
the  Third  Person  of  the  Trinity  coming  into  my 
body  in  all  His  fulness,  making  me  His  dwelling, 
"the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Was  it  any  wonder 
that  this  poor  human  frame  of  mine  should  quake 
beneath  the  mighty  movings  of  His  power? 

How  happy  I  was,  Oh  how  happy !  happy  just  to 
feel  His  wonderful  power  taking  control  of  my 
being.  Oh  Glory!  That  sacred  hoi^  i«  ^  awp^f  ^n 
me,  the  remembrance  of  it«  gfl^rwinpgq  thrills  rr)p  s\p 
JLjvrite. 

Almost  without  my  notice  my  body  slipped  gen- 
tly to  the  floor,  and  I  was  lying  stretched  out  under 
the  power  of  God,  but  felt  as  though  caught  up  and 
floating  upon  the  billowy  clouds  of  glory.  Do  not 
understand  by  this  that  I  was  unconscious  of  my 
surroundings,  for  I  was  not,  but  Jesus  was  more 
real  and  near  than  the  things  of  earth  round  about 
me.  The  desire  to  praise  and  worship  and  adore 
Him  flamed  up  within  my  soul.  He  was  so  wonder- 

49 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ful,  so  glorious,  and  this  poor  tongue  of  mine  so 
utterly  incapable  of  finding  words  with  which  to 
praise  Him. 

My  lungs  began  to  fill  and  heave  under  the  power 
as  the  Comforter  came  in.  The  cords  of  my  throat 
began  to  twitch — my  chin  began  to  quiver,  and 
then  to  shake  violently,  but  Oh,  so  sweetly!  My 
tongue  began  to  move  up  and  down  and  sideways 
in  my  mouth.  Unintelligible  sounds  as  of  stam- 
mering lips  and  another  tongue,  spoken  of  in 
Isaiah  28:11,  began  to  issue  from  my  lips.  This 
stammering  of  different  syllables,  then  Avords,  then 
connected  sentences,  was  continued  for  some  time 
as  the  Spirit  was  teaching  me  to  yield  to  Him. 
Then  suddenly,  out  of  my  innermost  being  flowed 
rivers  of  praise  in  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave 
utterance  (Acts  2:4),  and  Oh  I  knew  that  He  was 
praising  Jesus  with  glorious  language,  clothing 
Him  with  honor  and  glory  which  I  felt  but  never 
could  have  put  into  words. 

How  wonderful  that  I,  even  I,  away  down  here 
in  1908,  was  speaking  in  an  unknown  tongue,  just 
as  the  believers  had  in  Bible  days  at  Ephesus  and 
at  Caesarea,  and  that  now  He  had  come  of  whom 
Jesus  had  said — "He  will  glorify  Me" 

I  shouted  and  sang  and  laughed  and  talked  in 
tongues  until  it  seemed  that  I  was  too  full  to  hold 
another  bit  of  blessing  lest  I  should  burst  with  the 
glory.  The  Word  of  God  was  true.  The  promise 
was  really  to  them  that  were  afar  off,  even  as  many 
as  the  Lord  our  God  should  call.  The  comforter 
had  come,  lifting  my  soul  in  ecstatic  praises  to 
Jesus  in  a  language  I  had  never  learned.  I  remem- 
ber having  said : 

"Oh  Lord,  can  you  not  take  me  right  on  up  to 
heaven  now?  I  am  so  near  anyway.  Do  I  have  to 
go  back  to  that  old  world  again?" 

"Hypnotism,"  you  say?  If  so,  it  is  a  remarkably 
long  spell  and  an  exceedingly  delightful  one  which 

50 


SALVATION    AND   THE   BAPTISM    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

lias  lasted  for  eleven  years,  making  me  love  Jesus 
with  all  my  heart  and  long  for  His  appearing. 
Besides  this  you  must  take  into  consideration  that 
there  was  no  one  in  the  room  to  hypnotize  me.  I 
was  all  alone  when  I  was  saved,  and  all  alone  when 
I  received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"Demon  power" — "all  of  the  devil,"  someone 
may  say.  If  so  the  devil  must  have  recently  gotten 
soundly  converted,  for  that  which  entered  into  my 
soul  makes  me  to  love  and  obey  my.  Lord  and 
Savior  Jesus  Christ,  to  exalt  the  blood  and  honor 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

"Excitement,"  you  say?  Never!  It  has  stood  the 
test  too  long,  dear  unbeliever.  In  sickness,  in  sor- 
row, even  in  the  gates  of  death  He  has  proved 
Himself  to  be  the  Comforter  whom  Jesus  said  He 
would  send. 

Hearing  me  speaking  in  the  tongues  -and  praising 
the  Lord,  the  dear  Sister  of  the  home  in  which  I 
stayed,  came  down  stairs  and  into  the  parlor,  weep- 
ing and  praising  the  Lord  with  me.  Soon  Brother 
Semple  and  other  saints  gathered  in.  What  shout- 
ing and  rejoicing!  Oh  hallelujah!  And  yet  with 
all  the  joy  and  glory,  there  was  a  stillness  and  a 
solemn  hush  pervading  my  whole  being. 

Walking  down  the  street,  I  kept  saying  to  my- 
self: 

^Now  you  must  walk  very  softly  and  carefully, 
with  unshod  feet,  in  the  presence  of  the  King  lest 
you  grieve  this  tender,  gentle  dove  who  has  come 
into  your  being  to  make  you  His  temple  and  to 
abide  with  you  forever." 

The  next  day  was  Sunday.  The  storm  had 
cleared  away;  the  sun  was  shining  down  in  its 
melting  warmth.  Attending  the  morning  services 
at  the  Mission,  we  partook  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and  as  we  meditated  upon  His  wonderful  love,  His 
blood  that  was  shed  for  us,  His  body  that  was 
broken  on  the  tree,  it  was  more  than  I  could  bear, 

51 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  I  went  down  to  the  floor  under  the  power 
again.  Oh  who  can  describe  that  exceeding  weight 
of  glory  as  He  revealed  Himself,  niy  crucified  Sav- 
ior, my  resurrected  Lord,  my  coming  King! 

School-mates  and  friends  were  standing  up  to 
look  over  the  seats  to  see  what  in  the  world  had 
happened  to  me,  but  I  was  lost  again  with  Jesus 
whom  my  soul  loved,  speaking  in  tongues  and  shak- 
ing under  the  power. 

One  man  was  so  scandalized  to  see  me  lying  on 
the  floor  that  he  got  up  and  left  the  meeting,  and 
going  to  the  telephone  called  my  Mother.  (The 
wires  which  had  been  down  during  the  storm,  un- 
known to  me,  had  been  repaired  and  were  up  by 
this  time. )  He  said  : 

"You  had  better  come  into  town  and  see  to  that 
daughter  of  yours,  for  she  is  lying  on  the  floor  in 
the  Mission,  before  all  the  people,  chattering  like 
a  monkey." 

Poor  Mother!  She  was  frantic  to  think  her 
daughter  should  so  far  forget  her  dignity  -as  to  dis- 
grace herself  in  such  a  manner.  She  called  me  to 
the  'phone,  and  I  heard  her  dear  voice  saying: 

"Aimee!  What  in  the  world  is  this  that  I  hear 
about  you  lying  on  the  floor  in  the  Mission?  What 
in  the  world  does  this  all  mean?" 

I  tried  to  answer,  but  broke  out  speaking  in 
tongues  again. 

"What's  that?"  she  demanded.  I  tried  to  ex- 
plain. Then  came  her  voice,  stern  and  forbidding. 

"You  just  wait  'til  I  get  there,  my  lady;  I  will 
tend  to  you!" 

(Just  to  relieve  the  tension  on  your  mind  I  will 
run  a  little  ahead  of  my  story  and  tell  you  that 
my  dear  Mother  has  her  own  baptism  now,  and 
spoke  with  other  tongues— ON  THE  FLOOR, 
TOO!) 

Returning  to  the  Sister's  home,  I  sat  down  at  the 

52 


SALVATION    AND    THE    BAPTISM    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

organ,  awaiting  in  some  trepidation  and  fear,   I 
.confess,  the  coming  of  my  Mother.     To  keep  my 
courage  up  I  sang  over  and  over  that  old,  familiar 
hymn : 

"I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee; 
In  my  hands  I'll  hold  thee; 
In  my  arms  I'll  fold  thee; 
I  am  thy  Redeemer;  I  will  care  for  thee!" 
What   would   Mother  say?     Would  she  under- 
stand?   Why,  it  had  not  been  so  very  long  since  the 
power  of  God  used  to  come  down  in  the  dear  old 
Salvation  Army.     Had  I  not  heard  her  tell  how 
Brother   Kitchen    (whom   they   used   to   call   "the 
Kitchen   that   God   lived  in".)    had   shaken   as   he 
kneeled  in  prayer,  until  he  had  gone  clear  across 
the  platform  and  had  lain  stretched  out  under  the 
power  at  the  other  side?     Had  I  not  heard  my 
Father  tell   how   the  old-time   Methodist  Church 
used  to  have  this  same  power?     Praying  God  for 
strength  and  wisdom,  I  sang  on — 
"E'en  though  the  night 
Be  dark  within  the  valley, 
Just  beyond  is  shining, 

An  eternal  light." 

Six  o'clock  arrived — so  did  Mother !  1  heard  the 
jingle  of  the  sleigh-bells  suddenly  stop  in  response 
to  my  Mother's  "whoa!"  Then  an  imperious  ring 
of  the  bell  shivered  the  tense  silence  within  the 
house.  Slipping  down  from  the  organ  stool  I 
caught  my  coat  and  hat  in  my  hand  as  I  hastened 
to  the  door.  Mother  met  me,  and  with : 

"My  lady,  you  come  right  out  and  get  in  here 
this  minute,"  lost  no  time  in  bundling  me  into  the 
cutter.  The  Sister  and  Brother  both  tried  to  get 
a  word  in  edgeways,  to  reason  with  and  explain  to 
her,  but  she  would  hear  none  of  it,  and  in  a  moment 
we  were  off. 

All  the  way  home  Mother  scolded  and  cried  and 
almost  broke  her  heart  over  her  daughter  that  had, 

53 


THIS  IS  THAT 

as  she  supposed,  been  cast  under  some  dire  spell 
by  those  .awful  people,  who  had  now  been  nick- 
named by  the  town,  "The  Holy  Rollers."  Oh,  praise 
the  Lord!  No  matter  what  the  devil  called  them 
he  had  to  admit  that  they  were  holy  anyway,  and 
that's  more  than  he  could  have  said  of  many  pro- 
fessing denominations,  now,  isn't  it? 

Being  an  only  child,  loved  and  petted,  it  needed 
only  a  word  of  scolding  or  remonstrance  to  bring 
the  tears,  but  now,  when  she  was  scolding  me  more 
severely  and  saying  more  harsh  things  than  she 
ever  had  in  my  life,  for  some  mysterious  reason 
I  couldn't  shed  a  tear.    I  felt  duty  bound  to  squeeze 
out  a  few  tears,  out  of  respect  to  her  feelings,  but 
I  could  not  do  it  to  help  myself.     All  I  could  do 
was  sing  and  sing  and  sing — all  the  way — 
"Joys  are  flowing  like  a  river, 
Since  the  Comforter  has  come; 
He  abides  with  me  forever, 
Makes  the  trusting  heart  His  home." 
The  Spirit  within  rose  up  and  filled  me  with  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.    Poor  Mother  would 
turn  to  me  and  say: 

"Oh  Aimee!  do  stop  that  singing.  I  can't  under- 
stand how  you  can  sing;  you  know  your  Mother's 
heart  is  breaking.  Surely  you  don't  call  that  a 
fruit  of  the  Spirit."  But  it  did  not  seem  as  if  I 
were  singing  at  all :  it  just  seemed  to  sing  itself 
and  came  out  without  any  effort. 

"Blessed  quietness,  holy  quietness, 
What  assurance  in  my  soul; 
On  the  stormy  sea,  Jesus  speaks  to  me, 
And  the  billoAvs  cease  to  roll." 
Upon   our  arrival  home  we   found  my   Father 
sitting  by  the  dining-room  fire,  Avith  his  head  in 
his  hands,  saying: 

"Humph!  Humph!  Humph!"  He  always  did 
that  when  he  felt  very  badly  over  something.  Lead- 
ing me  up  to  him,  Mother  said  : 

54 


SALVATION    AND    THE    BAPTISM    OF   THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

"Now  I  want  you  to  tell  your  Father  all  about 
it.  Tell  him  the  way  you  acted  and  how  you  lay 
on  the  floor  before  those  people."  Well,  it  cer- 
tainly did  look  dreadful  to  tell  it,  but  Oh,  that 
something  kept  whispering  and  echoing  in  my 
heart : 

"E'en  though   the  night 
Be  dark  within  the  valley, 
Just  beyond  is  shining 
An  eternal  day." 

When  at  last  they  sent  me  to  my  room,  I  kneeled 
down  quickly  and  began  to  pray.  It  happened  that 
I  was  kneeling  beside  the  stove-pipe  hole  and  could 
not  help  overhearing  a  part  of  the  conversation 
between  my  parents.  It  was  something  like  this: 

"Oh,  what  shall  we  do?  Those  people  have  got 
our  girl  under  their  influence,  hypnotized  her, 
mesmerized  her  or  something." 

"It  is  perfectly  useless  to  argue  with  her,  for 
no  matter  what  we  say,  she  only  thinks  she  is  be- 
ing persecuted  and  Avill  hold  to  it  all  the  more  tena- 
ciously." 

"Oh,  what  shall  we  do?"  With  this  the  door 
closed  and  I  heard  no  more. 

Oh,  how  can  I  describe  the  joy  and  the  glory  that 
had  come  within  my  soul?  that  deep-settled  peace, 
that  knowledge  that  He  would  lead  and  guide  and 
would  bring  all  things  out  right. 

When  next  my  Mother  permitted  me  to  go  to 
school  she  told  me  of  the  decision  which-  they  had 
come  to,  namely,  that  if  I  went  near  those  Pen- 
tecostal people  once  more  they  would  take  me  away 
from  school  for  good,  education  or  no  education. 
As  she  told  me  this  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  me  wisdom 
to  make  this  reply: 

"Mother,  the  Bible  says  that  children  are  to  obey 
their  parents  in  the  Lord,  and  if  you  can  show  me 
by  the  Word  of  God  that  what  I  have  received  is 
not  in  accordance  with  Bible  teaching,  or  show  me 

55 


THIS  IS  THAT 

any  place  where  we  are  told  that  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  with  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in 
tongues,  is  not  for  today,  I  will  never  go  to  the  Mis- 
sion again."  I  staked  my  all  on  the  Word. 

"Why  certainly  I  can  prove  it  to  you,"  she  replied. 
"Those  things  were  only  for  the  Apostolic  days.  I 
will  look  up  the  scriptures  and  prove  it  to  you  when 
you  get  home  tonight." 

Dear  Mother — she  had  been  a  student  of  the 
Bible  and  had  taught  Sunday  School  and  Bible 
class  for  years.  Oh,  would  she  be  able  to  prove  that 
all  these  manifestations  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  power 
and  presence  were  only  for  by-gone  days?  I  was  not 
very  well  acquainted  with  the  Bible  on  this  sub- 
ject, yet  knew  that  what  I  had  received  was  from 
God. 

Assured  that  Mother  would  search  the  Bible  hon- 
estly, I  had  pledged  myself  to  stand  by  the  conse- 
quences: Whatever  the  Bible  said  should  stand. 
Thus  it  was  that  we  both  turned  to  the  Word  of 
God  as  the  final  court  of  appeal  to  settle  the  whole 
matter. 

Mother  got  out  her  Bible,  concordance,  pencil  and 
pad,  and  with  heart  and  mind  full  of  this  one  thing, 
immediately  sat  herself  down  at  the  breakfast  table, 
spreading  her  books  out  before  her,  without  paus- 
ing even  long  enough  to  gather  up  the  breakfast 
dishes  for  washing — the  lamps  were  not  cleaned, 
and  the  beds  were  unmade. 

( Oh,  if  any  unbeliever  will  sit  down  with  an  open 
Bible  and  an  unprejudiced  heart,  there  is  no  need 
for  us  to  defend  our  position,  so  clear  is  the  Word 
of  God  on  this  subject.) 

It  was  half  past  eight  in  the  morning  when  I  left 
home  for  school.  At  five-thirty,  when  I  returned, 
Mother  was  still  seated  at  the  breakfast  table,  with 
her  Bible  and  paper  before  her,  and — would  you 
believe  it? — the  breakfast  dishes  were  still  un- 
washed, the  lamps  uncleaned,  the  beds  unmade,  an 

56 


SALVATION    AND   THE    BAPTISM    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

unheard-of  state  of  affairs  for  Mother,  ever  an  ex- 
cellent housekeeper. 

I  waited  with  bated  breath  for  her  decision.  My 
heart  softened  within  me  as  I  saw  by  her  reddened 
eyes  that  she  had  been  weeping.  Oh,  what  would 
her  answer  be?  The  sniile  upon  her  face  encour- 
aged me  to  ask — 

"Oh,  Mother,  what  is  it?" 

Now,  dear  reader,  what  do  you  suppose  she  said? 
With  shining  face  she  replied— 

"Well,  dear,  I  must  admit  that  of  a  truth,  this 
is  that  which  was  spoken  of  by  the  prophet  Joel, 
which  should  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days!" 

She  had  found  that,  away  back  in  Isaiah  28:11, 
He  had  said — "With  stammering  lips  and  another 
tongue  will  I  speak  to  this  people" — that  the  prophet 
Joel  had  clearly  prophesied  that  in  these  last  days 
there  should  be  a  wonderful  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  likened  unto  the  latter  rain,  wherein  the 
sons  and  daughters,  the  servants  and  the  maids 
were  alike  to  rejoice  in  this  glorious  downpour. 

With  one  spring  across/  the  room,    I  threw   my 
arms  about  my  Mother's  neck,  squeezing  her  till 
she  declared  I  had  almost,  broken  her  neck.  How 
happy  we  were  as  we  danced  around  the  table — 
laughing,  crying  and  singing  together — 
"'Tis  the  old  time*  religion, 
And1  it's  good  enough  for  me — '" 

If  everyone  who  is  skeptical  of  the  reality  of  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  would  take  the  Word  of 
God  and  search  from  cover  to  cover,  he  too, 
would  be  convinced  without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt 
that  "This  Is  That." 


57 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CALLING    INTO    THE    VINEYARD,    AND 
MARRIAGE. 

"Come,  my  beloved,  and  let  us  go  forth  into  the  field;  let 
us  lodge  in  the  villages."  S.  of  S.  7:11. 

THE   chain   of  events  related  in   the  fore- 
going chapters  brings  us  right  up  to  the 
place  where  God  spoke  to  his  poor  little 
handmaiden,  whose  heart  was  rejoicing  in 
the  new-found  Savior — the  time  when  He  called 
me  to  preach  The  Word,  and  ordained  me  in  my 
room  as  related  in  the  beginning  of  chapter  one. 
(If  you   have   forgotten,   turn   back   and   refresh 
your  memory.) 

An  intense,  heaven-sent  longing  to  be  a  soul  win- 
ner for  Jesus  was  born  of  the  Spirit  within  my 
soul.  He!  had  done  so  much  for  me;  He  had  plucked 
my  feet  out  of  the  mire  and  the  clay.  Oh,  to  be 
able  to  win  other  souls,  shining  jewels  to  lay  at  His 
precious  feet !  Oh,  to  be  able  to  tell  of  the  Redeem- 
er's love  to  perishing  humanity!  God  spoke  with- 
in the  depths  of  my  being*  and  told  me  that  "Before 
I  called  thee,  I  knew  thee ;  before  thou  earnest  forth 
I  sanctified  thee;  and  I  ordained  thee." 

"Why,  you  are  but  a  child;  no  one  would  listen 
or  have  confidence  in  you,"  whispered  the  Enemy. 
"What  do  you  know  about  preaching,  anyway?" 
nodded  Self  and  Common-sense.  "Here  are  preach- 
ers, a  country  full  of  them,  learned,  college-bred, 
who  have  read  books  and  digested  theological  stu- 
dies for  years.  It  is  preposterous  for  you  even  to 
think  of  going  out  as  a  worker." 

"But  not  many  wise  'men  after  the  flesh,  not 

59 


THIS  IS  THAT 

many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called :  but 
hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  con- 
found the  wise;  and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things  that 
are  mighty  "  argued  the  Word.  "Has  He  not 
declared  that  with  a  worm  He  shall  thrash 
a  mountain  —  that  when  we  are  weak,  then 
we  are  strong  —  and  that  a  little  child  shall 
lead  them?  Has  He  not  said  that  upon  the 
servants  and  upon  the  handmaidens  He  would 
pour  out  His  Spirit  in  the  last  days,  and  that  they 
should  prophesy?  Did  He  not  say  that  after  the 
Spirit  had  come  cout  of  your  innermost  being'  (not 
out  of  your  head,  intellect  or  knowledge)  ( should 
flow  rivers  of  living  water'?  You  know  the  rivers 
are  flowing.  Just  open  your  mouth  wide  and  He 
will  fill  it." 

"Yes,  but  remember  in  addition  to  your  youth 
and  lack  of  mental  equipment,"  cried  Human 
Affection,  "there  is  your  Mother  to  be  considered. 
You  are  an  only  child,  her  only  comfort  and  object 
of  affection  in  this  world.  Surely  you  would  not 
consider  leaving  her  out  here  in  the  country  all 
alone,  after  all  that  she  has  done  for  you?" 

"Here  you  have  love  and  home  and  comfort,  all 
you  can  wish  for.  If  you  went  forth  as  a  worker 
you  would  have  to  leave  all  these,"  added  Love 
of  Comfort. 

"If  any  man  love  Father  or  Mother  more  than 
Me,  he  is  not  worthy  of  Me,"  said  the  tender  voice 
of  Jesus.  "No  man  hath  given  up  houses  or  lands 
for  My  sake  and  the  gospePs,  but  he  shall  receive 
a  hundred-fold  now  in  this  time,  and  in  the  world 
to  come  eternal  life.  If  you  would  come  after  Me 
you  must  take  up  your  cross  daily,  denying  your- 
self, and  follow  Me." 

"But,  Lord,  these  Pentecostal  people  have  no 
earthly  board  behind  them,  no  salary,"  cried  Pru- 
dence and  Forethought,  "What  about  shoes  and 
clothes,  and  necessary  expenses?" 

60 


CALLING    INTO    THE   VINEYARD    AND    MARRIAGE 

"Take  no  thought  for  what  you  shall  eat  or  for 
what  you  shall  drink  or  what  you  shall  put  on,  for 
the  Lord  knoweth  you  have  need  of  these  things," 
calmly  interrupted  implicit  Faith. 

"Oh,  yes,  Lord,  by  Your  grace  I  will  take  up  my 
cross,  'twill  be  a  joy,"  sang  Consecration.     "I  will 
trust  You  and  follow  You,  come  what  may.     My 
all  is  on  the  altar,  have  Your  dear  way  with  me, 
whether  'tis  'go'  or  whether  'tis  'stay/  let  Your 
perfect  will  be  wrought  out  in  my  life.    I  feel  my 
own  weakness  and  insufficiency — know  not  what 
the  future  holds — am  but  a  child,  but 
'I  can  hear  my  Savior  calling, 
Take  your  cross  and  follow,  follow  Me.' 

Oh,  here  I  am,  Lord,  send  me.  Such  a  burden 
for  souls  is  mine  that  I  would  be  willing  to  crawl 
upon  my  hands  and  knees  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  just  to  say  to  one  poor,  lost  soul — 

'Dear  sinner,  Jesus  loves  you.' ' 

"You  must  go  with  me,  Jesus,  you  must  help 
my  infirmities  and  speak  for  me,  for  behold  I  can 
not  speak,  I  am  a  child." 

But  the  Lord  said  unto  me,  "Say  not,  /  am  a 
child,  for  thou  shalt  go  to  all  that  I  shall  send  thee, 
whatsoever  1  command  thee  thou  shalt  speak.  Be 
not  afraid  of  their  faces,  for  I  am  with  thee  to 
deliver  thee,  saith  the  Lord.  Then  the  Lord  put 
forth  His  hand,  and  touched  my  mouth,  and  said 
unto  me.  Behold,  I  have  put  my  words  in  thy 
mouth." 

The  battle  over,  the  conflict  ended,  the  conse- 
cration made,  come  what  might,  no  matter  who 
should  doubt  the  transaction  that  took  place  in 
that  sacred  hour,  I  had  been  ordained,  not  of  man 
but  of  God. 

Day  by  day  the  call  grew  louder,  rang  more 
clearly  in  my  ears.  Sitting  at  the  piano  I  would 
sing,  hour  after  hour,  from  the  fullness  of  my 
heart, 

61 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"I'll  go  where  you  want  me  to  go,  dear  Lord, 
Over  mountain  or  plain  or  sea; 
I'll  say  what  you  want  me  to  say,  dear  Lord, 
I'll  be  what  you  want  me  to  be." 

Tears  would  roll  down  my  face;  my  body  was 
there,  but  my  Spirit  was  far  away  out  in  the  har- 
vest fields  working  for  Jesus. 

So  enwrapt  was  I  in  the  call  of  the  Master  that 
I  was  often  but  dimly  conscious  of  my  Mother's 
leaving  her  work  each  time  I  began  to  play,  no 
matter  what  part  of  the  house  she  was  in,  and  com- 
ing to  the  parlor  door,  leaning  against  it  and  wip- 
ing the  big  tears  from  her  eyes  on  the  corner  of 
her  apron.  God  was  speaking  to  her  Mother-heart, 
taking  her  back  to  the  day  of  her  prayer  for  the 
little  girl,  reminding  her  of  the  dedication  service 
when  she  had  promised  to  let  her  go  where  He 
would  send,  even  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  She 
realized  that  the  great  divine  call  had  come  to  her 
daughter,  and  that  the  time  for  her  supreme  sac- 
rifice was  near.  She  remembered  the  words  of 
Hannah : 

"Oh,  my  lord,  I  am  the  woman  that  stood  by  thee 
here,  praying  unto  the  Lord.  For  this  child  I 
prayed;  and  the  Lord  hath  given  me  my  petition 
which  I  asked  of  Him:  therefore  also  have  I  lent 
him  to  the  Lord;  as  long  as. he  liveth  he  shall  be 
lent  to  the  Lord,  and  she  worshipped  the  Lord 
there." 

Just  how  it  was  all  to  come  about,  little  did  we 
know.  The  meetings  were  a  feast  to  our  souls. 
Workers  came  freely  to  our  country  home,  and 
when  the  Evangelist,  Kobert  Semple,  that  blessed 
man  of  God  who,  because  of  his  Christ-like  bear- 
ing, moved  as  a  prince  among  men,  passed  on  to 
another  town,  he  continued  to  encourage  and  in- 
struct me  in  the  Lord  by  many  long  letters,  all  of 
which  were  filled  with  scriptures  and  food  from 
God's  storehouse. 

62 


CALLING    INTO    THE    VINEYARD    AND    MARRIAGE 

Never  has  it  been  my  privilege  to  read  such  let- 
ters as  those  that  came  from  the  inspired  pen  of 
this  saintly  man  of  prayer.  He  walked  and  lived 
and  breathed  in  the  atmosphere  of  heaven.  To 
know  him  was  to  love  and  respect  him. 

Then  came  the  time  of  his  return  visit  to  our 
town  and  the  memorable  night  when  I  had  volun- 
teered to  nurse  the  two  little  children  of  the  sister 
in  whose  home  I  had  received  my  baptism.  The 
little  ones  had  been  stricken  down  with  typhoid 
fever,  and  the  mother  was  fatigued  with  long  care 
and  watching. 

Late  in  the  evening,  as  I  was  tending  the  little 
ones  and  setting  things  to  rights  in  the  room,  the 
door  opened  and  in  walked  Robert  Semple,  offer- 
ing his  services  and  prayers.  After  he  had  prayed, 
the  children  fell  into  a  quiet  sleep,  and  we  sat 
down  side  by  side  to  read  the  Bible  by  the  light 
of  the  shaded  lamp.  Robert  talked  earnestly  of 
the  Savior  and  His  love,  of  the  work,  of  the  great 
fields  of  golden  grain,  white  already  unto  the  har- 
vest, of  the  need  for  laborers  in  these  closing 
hours  of  the  dispensation,  of  the  soon  coming  of 
Jesus  and  the  many  souls  yet  to  be  saved,  of  what 
a  life  of  faith  meant — the  sacrifice^  the  joy,  the  re- 
ward— then,  reaching  over  he  took  my  hand  in 
his  and,  telling  me  of  his  love,  asked  me  to  be- 
come his  wife  and  enter  the  work  as  a  helpmate 
by  his  side. 

This  is  the  first  time  I  have  ever  attempted  to 
lift  the  veil  even  a  little  from  that  sacred,  hallowed 
hour,  when  we  kneeled  side  by  side,  hand  in  hand, 
and  he  reverently  prayed  God  to  look  down  and 
solemnize  our  engagement  and  send  us  forth  as 
true  laborers,  in  obedience  to  His  call,  to  rescue 
poor  perishing  souls  from  eternal  destruction. 

While  on  my  knees,  with  closed  eyes  and  throb- 
bing heart — (Why,  this  was  the  very  room  in 
which  I  had  received  my  baptism!)  the  room 

63 


THIS  IS  THAT 

seemed  filled  with  angels  who  lined  either  side  of 
the  golden,  sunlit  path  of  life  that  stretched  away 
into  the  vista  of  coming  days  of  glorious  love  and 
joyful  service  to  our  Lord  and  King. 

Here  was  the  visible  answer  to  the  call. 

Here  was  the  loving  human  hand  sent  to  un- 
latch the  gate  of  opportunity  and  guide  my  steps 
into  that  shining  path  and  start  me  well  upon  the 
way — that  way  that  has  led  through  sunshine  and 
shadow,  tears  and  smiles,  joys  and  sorrow,  life 
and  death,  mountain-top  and  valley. 

Little  did  I  know  that  night,  as  I  contemplated 
the  shining  way  that  led  on  and  on  to  the  Fath- 
er's throne,  how  soon  the  strong,  dear  arm  that 
was  now  about  me  as  we  prayed,  and  led  me  out 
into  the  work,  would  be  removed;  that  after  two 
years  of  married  life  I  should  be  left  alone,  yet 
not  alone. 

The  impenetrable  mist  with  which  God  merci- 
fully veils  the  future  remained  unrent,  yet,  had 
I  known  of  the  little  mound  of  fresh-digged  earth 
that  should  mark  the  grave  of  this  dear  heart  in 
Happy  Valley,  Hong  Kong,  China,  I  should  not 
have  hesitated  in  that  softly  whispered  "yes," 
with  which  I  met  his  question;  nor  would  I  have 
shrunk  one  instant  from  the  call  to  stand  by  his 
side.  I  deemed  it  one  of  the  greatest  privileges 
and  honors  I  had  ever  known. 

Oh,  Jesus!  Jesus!  how  wonderfully  He  hatj 
planned  it  all  for  poor,  unworthy  me!  How  he 
had  sought  and  called  and  chosen  me!  Is  it  any 
wonder  my  heart  sang  with  rapturous  love  and 
praise  for  such  a  Redeemer? 

The  straight-forward,  manly  way  in  which  Rob- 
ert went  to  my  Mother  for  her  consent,  coupled 
with  the  dealings  of  the  Lord  in  her  heart  on  the 
subject,  made  her  willing  to  part  with  her  daugh- 
ter, though  she  declared,  mother-like,  that  it  took 

64 


CALLING    INTO    THE    VINEYARD    AND    MARRIAGE 

the  sunshine  and  the  laughter  and  the  music  from 
the  farm  and  from  the  home. 

I  am  not  going  to  try  to  describe  the  little  wed- 
ding which  took  place  under  the  flower-decked 
arch  on  the  lawn  the  follo\ving  August,  nor  the 
long  tables  spread  beneath  the  apple  trees  for  the 
wedding  supper,  nor  the  Mother-face  that  tried 
to  keep  brave  and  smiling  as  the  little  white  wed- 
ding-dress was  laid  aside  and  the  navy-clad  bride 
entered  the  carriage  that  was  soon  hidden  by  a 
cloud  of  dust  as  it  sped  away  to  catch  the  train 
for  Stratford — the  mission  field  of  which  my  hus- 
band was  in  charge. 

"Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  an  offering  far  too  small ; 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 
Demands  my  love,  my  life,  my  all." 


65 


CHAPTER  VII. 

EARLY     MINISTRY— MY     BROKEN     ANKLE 
HEALED. 

"Let  us  get  up  early  to  the  vineyards;  let  us  see  if  the 
vine  nourish,  whether  the  tender  grape  appear,  and  the  pome- 
granates bud  forth:  there  will  I  give  thee  ray  loves."  S.  of 
S.  7:12. 

THE  happy  days  of  service  for  Jesus  which 
followed  need  not  be  described  in  detail. 
We  had  three  little  rooms  in  the  heart  of 
the  city  where  swirling  smoke  clouds  from 
nearby   foundries   swept  over  the  roof  and   tiny 
back-yard  where  I  struggled  desperately  with  my 
first  washing.     I  would  wash  and  rub  and  rinse, 
and  as  fast  as  I  washed  the  clothes  the  soot  would 
black  them.     It  was  a  battle  between  the  smoke 
and  me,  and  I  was  greatly  troubled,  having  always 
heard  that  the  housekeeping  qualities  of  a  good 
wife  must  be  judged  by  her  washing  and  her  bis- 
cuits.   Cinders  would  have  won  the  day  had  it  not 
been  for  the  help  and  advice  of  one  of  the*  sisters. 

Rooms  were  furnished  in  an  unpretentious  way, 
and  even  with  my  eyes  filled  with  smoke  from 
the  broken  door  of  the  little  kitchen  range,  my 
first  pan  of  biscuits,  hard  and  brown  though  they 
were,  were  considered  a  great  and  triumphant 
success  by  the  husband  who  came  in,  from  his 
toil  in  the  boiler  works,  at  noon.  Never  were  bis- 
cuits praised  so  highly,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
biscuits  ever  were  quite  so  hard,  but  the  spirit 
to  learn  and  try  to  please  was  there  just  the  same. 
The  little  assembly  was  poor  in  this  world's 
goods,  and  my  dear  husband,  not  willing  to  lay  us 
as  a  burden  upon  them,  had  accepted  this  humble 

67 


THIS  IS  THAT 

position  of  work,  though  in  other  cities  he  might 
have  commanded  a  dignified  position  with  a  good 
salary.  Like  Paul  he  was  not  afraid  to  work  with 
his  hands. 

The  Lord  blessed  our  labors  in  Stratford,  On- 
tario, saving  and  baptizing  precious  souls,  lead- 
ing me  on  and  out  in  a  new  way.  From  Stratford 
He  definitely  led  us  to  the  city  of 

LONDON,  ONT.,  CAN., 

where  the  beautiful  home  of  dear  Sister  Arm- 
strong was  opened  to  us.  Meetings  were  held  in 
her  parlors  until  her  rooms  grew  too  small,  and 
were  then  moved  to  the  home  of  Brother  Wort- 
man. 

The  teaching  of  Pentecost  was  practically  new 
in  the  city  at  the  time  when  the  Lord  led  my 
husband  thither.  Inside  of  a  year,  however,  over 
one  hundred  had  received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  with  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in 
tongues,  sinners  had  been  saved,  and  there  were 
several  remarkable  healings.  As  a  result  from  the 
working  of  the  Spirit  in  these  meetings,  a  large, 
thriving,  centrally  located  Pentecostal  Mission 
has  been  built  on  one  of  the  main  streets  and  the 
work  of  God  is  progressing  gloriously  to  this 
day. 

CHICAGO,  ILL. 

The  Lord  began  to  impress  us  that  we  were 
to  go  to  Chicago,  111.,  to  attend  the  meetings  of 
Brother  W.  H.  Durham,  and  as  we  were  pray- 
ing for  the  necessary  means,  He  laid  it  upon  my 
Mother's  heart  to  provide  for  the  fare  and  other 
necessary  expenses. 

Oh,  the  teaching  and  the  deepening,  and  the  ex- 
periences that  were  ours  in  the  little  North  Ave- 
nue assembly,  where  we  worshipped  for  several 
months,  have  meant  so  much  in  the  years  which 
have  followed!  It  was  here  that  the  Lord  gave 
me  the  gift  of  interpretation. 

68 


EARLY  MINISTRY — MY  BROKEN  ANKLE  HEALED 

While  praying  upon  my  knees  by  the  side  of  my 
bed  one  day,  I  was  speaking  in  tongues  (when 
one  has  received  the  Holy  Spirit  and  He  has 
right  of  way,  it  is  difficult  to  keep  from  praying 
in  the  Spirit,  as  when  the  soul  becomes  just  so 
full  that  our  human  mind  cannot  give  utterance  to 
or  express  its  desires,  the  Holy  Spirit  within  rises 
and  helping  our  infirmities,  prays  through  us 
with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered,  or  praises 
and  glorifies  Jesus  as  the  case  may  be). 

This  day,  as  I  was  worshipping  the  Lord  in 
other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  utterance,  I 
suddenly  became  conscious  of  the  fact  that  I  could 
understand  the  words  that  the  Spirit  was  speak- 
ing through  me.  He  described  the  glorious  morn- 
ing when  the  mists  should  be  rolled  away,  the 
breaking  of  eternal  dawn  over  the  hills,  the  near- 
ness of  the  approach  of  our  Lord,  which  was  reach- 
ing out  and  with  flaming  colors,  illuminating  the 
sky  with  the  promise  of  His  appearing.  The 
glory,  the  beauty,  the  majestic  tread  and  kingly 
garments  of  the  Lord  were  described  in  wonderful 
language  that  I  never  could  have  thought  of. 
When  the  power  lifted  from  me  I  was  left  feeling 
as  though  I  had  had  a  taste  of  heaven. 

Not  understanding  this  experience,  I  did  not 
mention  it  to  anyone,  but  that  night,  when  seated 
in  the  North  Avenue  Mission,  Brother  Durham, 
during  his  preaching,  spoke  a  lengthy  message  in 
tongues.  No  one  in  this  assembly  had  had  the 
gift  of  interpretation  up  to  this  time,  and  they 
had  been  praying  earnestly  for  its  bestowal  upon 
someone. 

As  the  Pastor  spoke,  the  power  was  flowing 
through  my  being.  Tt  just  seemed  as  though  the 
message  were  rolling  in  and  rolling  in  and  rolling 
in.  The  moment  the  Spirit  ceased  speaking 
through  him  I  felt  the  greatest  drawing  to  spring 
to  my  feet  and  open  my  mouth,  assured  that  if  I 

69 


THIS  IS  THAT 

did  the  message  would  roll  and  roll  forth  in  Eng- 
lish. 

I  could  feel  my  face  growing  red;  it  seemed  as 
though  everyone  must  know  I  had  the  interpreta- 
tion, for  I  shook  from  head  to  foot  during  the 
silence  that  ensued,  but  even  though  the  Brother 
pointed  over  the  audience  in  my  direction  and 
said — 

"Somebody  here  has  got  the  interpretation,"  I 
still  sat  on  in  my  chair,  fearful  of  getting  to  my 
feet  lest  I  should  be  mistaken. 

Meeting  over,  he  came  down  to  me  and  said: 

"You  had  the  interpretation,  did  you  not?" 
After  telling  him  my  experience,  he  bade  me  go 
right  to  the  altar  and  ask  the  Lord  to  forgive 
me  for  quenching  the  Spirit,  assuring  me  that 
if  I  did  not  obey  the  Spirit  I  would  grieve  Him 
and  the  gift  be  taken  away. 

The  next  meeting  wherein  a  message  in  tongues 
was  given  through  the  brother,  I  yielded  to  the 
Spirit,  who  seemed  literally  to  lift  me  to  my 
feet,  and  spoke  through  me  in  English,  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  message  which  had  been  given  in 
tongues.  I  was  amazed  to  find  how  easy  it  was: 
I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it  at  all.  It  was  almost 
exactly  the  same  as  speaking  in  tongues,  my  lips 
and  tongue  were  controlled  by  the  Spirit  in  iden- 
tically the  same  way.  The  words  did  not  pass 
through  my  brain  but  came  flowing  out  of  my  in- 
nermost being  just  as  the  Spirit  gave  utterance. 
The  only  difference  between  this  and  speaking  in 
tongues  was  that  it  came  in  English.  The  lan- 
guage was  such  as  I  never  could  have  used. 

The  saints  shouted — leaped  to  their  feet — and 
the  power  fell  everywhere.  Meeting  after  meet- 
ing thereafter,  the  Spirit  gave  through  me  the 
interpretation.  Instead  of  having  the  effect  of 
puffing  me  up,  as  one  might  have  expected,  this 
gift  seemed  to  humble  me  more  than  anything  I 

70 


EARLY  MINISTRY — MY  BROKEN  ANKLE  HEALED 

had  ever  had.  The  enemy  would  strongly  tempt 
me  to  get  up  and  run  from  the  building  when  it 
seemed  as  though  anyone  were  going  to  speak  in 
tongues. 

One  of  my  severest  tests  came  when  a  certain 
message  in  tongues,  seemingly  composed  of  but 
three  or  four  words,  had  a  corresponding  interpre- 
tation a  couple  of  sentences  long.  I  knew  that 
the  interpretation  had  not  arisen  in  my  mind, 
but  was  spoken  by  the  Spirit;  nevertheless,  not 
being  able  to  understand  the  difference  in  length, 
and  feeling  that  everyone  else  must  notice  it  too, 
I  sat  down  covered  with  confusion. 

Imagine  my  joy  and  relief  when  a  man  rose  in 
the  back  of  the  hall  and  stated  that  the  message 
in  tongues  had  been  in  his  own  language  and  that 
the  interpretation  exactly  corresponded.  With 
a  rush  of  relief  I  recalled  how  that  in  school  in 
our  Latin  lessons  one  word  in  Latin  would  mean 
three  and  sometimes  four  words  in  English,  and 
how  Daniel's  interpretation  of  the  handwriting  on 
the  wall  varied  in  length : 

"Mene;  God  hath  numbered  thy  kingdom,  and 
finished  it. 

"Tekel;  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances,  and 
art  found  wanting. 

"Peres;  Thy  kingdom  is  divided,  and  given  to 
the  Medes  and  Persians." 

How  could  I  have  been  so  stupid  as  to  have 
doubted?  Yet  to  this  day  perhaps  some  of  my 
readers,  when  they  have  heard  a  message  in 
tongues  whose  interpretation  apparently  did  not 
correspond  in  length,  have  doubted  and  con- 
demned. 

Today  we  are  made  to  realize  in  a  very  definite 
way  that  the  Lord  is  restoring  His  church  to  her 
full  Pentecostal  glory  and  perfection,  where  every 
gift  and  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  to  be  manifested. 

71 


THIS  IS  THAT 


FINDLAY,  OHIO 

MIRACULOUS     AND     INSTANTANEOUS     HEALING     OF     A 
BROKEN  ANKLE. 

WHILE  at  Findlay,  Ohio,  at  Brother  Leon- 
ard's Mission,  attending  the  two  weeks' 
special  meetings  conducted  by  Brother, 
Durham,  we  prayed  night  and  day  for 
those  seeking  the  baptism,  and  the  Lord  met  every 
one.  At  times  the  whole  floor  in  front  of  the  altar 
was  covered  by  the  slain  of  the  Lord.  Amongst 
those  seeking  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  was  a  min- 
ister and  a  doctor  of  that  city.  , 

One  evening,  being  tired  in  body,  from  the  long- 
hours  at  the  altar,  I  went  upstairs  to  lie  down, 
during  the  tarrying  meeting.  I  had  hardly  set- 
tled down  to  rest,  when,  hearing  the  big  bass 
voice  of  the  minister  shouting,  "Glory !  Glory ! ! 
Glory!!!"  I  bounded  off  the  couch  to  go  and  see 
if  he  was  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit,  rejoicing  that 
our  prayers  were  being  answered. 

In  running  swiftly  down  the  long  flight  of 
stairs  I  tripped,  and,  bending  my  ankle  back 
under  me,  fell  from  the  middle  of  the  stairs  all 
the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  bottom.  I  could  fairly 
hear  the  bones  crunch  under  me  as  I  fell.  My  toes 
turned  towards  where  the  heel  ought  to  be,  and 
my  ankle  swelled  rapidly. 

Up  to  this  time,  having  always  enjoyed  the  best 
of  health,  I  had  never  had  occasion  to  take  the 
Lord  as  my  personal  healer,  although  I  had  wit- 
nessed many  wonderful  healings.  Now,  as  the 
saints  gathered  about  me  and  prayed,  I  must  con- 
fess that  my  mind  was  more  occupied  with  the 
pain  and  excruciating  agony  of  my  broken  foot 
than  with  the  Lord  as  my  healer;  consequently  I 
was  not  healed  that  night. 

72 


EARLY  MINISTRY — MY  BROKEN  ANKLE  HEALED 

The  doctor  examined  my  foot  and  said  the  bone 
was  not  only  cracked,  but  that  in  wrenching  my 
foot  backwards  in  iny  fall,  I  had  completely  torn 
and  severed  four  of  the  ligaments  that  move  the 
toes,  all  being  torn  but  that  running  to  the  big 
toe,  thus  pulling  my  toes  around  and  backwards. 

As  soon  as  the  swelling  had  been  reduced  suffi- 
ciently to  permit  a  plaster  of  paris  cast  to  be  put 
on,  Dr.  Harrison  and  his  son,  also  a  practising 
physician  of  that  city,  set  the  bone,  drew  the  bent 
foot  back  into  place,  and  put  on  a  heavy  cast. 
He  explained  to  me  that  the  torn  cords  could  not 
grow  together;  that  my  ankle  would,  therefore, 
always  be  stiff,  but  by  keeping  the  plaster  cast  on 
for  four  weeks,  till  thoroughly  healed,  my  foot 
would  be  straight.  They  both  warned  me  not  to 
touch  it  to  the  floor,  or  put  any  weight  upon  it. 
A  pair  of  crutches  was  purchased,  and  by  their 
aid  I  went  hobbling  to  the  train  that  was  to  take 
us  back  to  Chicago. 

The  afternoon  we  arrived,  I  attended  the  serv- 
ice in  the  mission,  and  rested  my  aching  and  fev- 
erish foot  on  the  platform  in  front  of  me.  Everj 
jar  of  the  floor  sent  a  stabbing  pain  through  it, 
and,  sick  with  the  pain,  I  went  to  my  room,  a 
block  away  from  the  hall.  While  sitting  there 
commiserating  with  myself  over  the  black  and 
swollen  toes,  which  were  all  I  could  see  of  my 
foot,  a  voice  spoke  to  me  and  said: 

"If  you  will  wrap  the  shoe  for  your  broken 
foot,  and  take  it  with  you  to  wear  home,  and  go 
over  to  North  Avenue  mission  to  Brother  Dur- 
ham and  ask  him  to  lay  hands  on  your  foot,  I  will 
heal  it." 

The  idea  of  wrapping  up  a  shoe,  which  was 
tight-fitting  even  with  my  foot  in  a  normal  condi- 
tion, struck  me  so  humorously  that  I  laughed  the 
thought  away;  but  again  and  yet  again  came  the 
voice : 

73 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Wrap  up  your  shoe  to  wear  home,  take  it  with 
you  as  you  go  to  be  prayed  for,  and  I  will  heal 
you."  The  Word  says,  "My  sheep  hear  my  voice," 
and,  at  last  I  reached  for  my  crutches,  hobbled 
over  to  my  other  shoe,  wrapped  it  up,  and  with  it 
tucked  under  my  arm,  started  clumsily  down  the 
winding  staircase  to  go  to  the  mission  for  prayers. 

On  the  way  over  the  crutch  slipped  through  a 
hole  in  the  wooden  sidewalk,  and  as  my  toes 
struck  the  hard  boards,  the  perspiration  stood  in 
beads  upon  me,  from  the  excruciating  pain  that 
shot  up  my  limb.  I  felt  dizzy  and  faint  as  I 
reached  the  foot  of  the  steps  (Brother  Durham 
lived  over  the  mission).  Trembling  and  white  from 
pain,  I  felt  unequal  to  climbing  the  stairs,  so  two 
of  the  brothers  carried  me  up  on  a  chair. 

I  told  them  just  what  the  Lord  had  told  me. 
There  were  twelve  in  the  room  besides  myself,  and 
all  but  one  began  to  pray.  The  one  who  did  not 
pray  was  an  infidel,  a  brother  of  our  Pastor. 

As  Brother  Durham  was  walking  up  and  down 
the  room,  calling  on  the  Lord,  he  suddenly 
stopped,  and  laying  his  hands  on  my  ankle,  broke 
out  praying  in  tongues,  and  then  in  English  said : 

"In  the  name  of  Jesus,  receive  your  healing." 
I  suddenly  felt  as  if  a  shock  of  electricity  had 
struck  my  foot.  It  flowed  through  my  whole  body, 
causing  me  to  shake  and  tremble  under  the  power 
of  God.  Instantaneously  my  foot  was  perfectly 
healed,  the  blackness  was  gone,  the  parted  liga- 
ments were  knitted  together,  the  bone  was  made 
whole.  Glory  to  Jesus!  I  was  healed! 

Trembling  with  excitement  and  joy,  it  took  me 
fully  five  minutes,  with  the  help  of  the  saints, 
to  remove  the  plaster  of  paris  cast.  The  infidel 
who  was  present  said: 

"Don't  be  foolish.  Leave  it  on,  you  will  only 
have  to  pay  a  doctor  three  dollars  to  replace  the 
cast." 

74 


EARLY  MINISTRY — MY  BROKEN  ANKLE  HEALED  - 

But,  glory  to  Jesus,  I  was  healed.  At  last  the 
plaster  was  removed,  the  absorbent  cotton  off,  my 
stocking  on,  also  the  shoe  (which  fitted  perfectly 
now),  and  I  leaped  to  my  feet  and  began  to  dance 
and  jump  on  the  healed  foot. 

Everyone  in  the  room  was  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
and  we  all  danced  and  sang  and  talked  in  tongues. 
Hallelujah !  It  is  no  wonder  we  shout  His  praises ; 
when  we  have  Jesus  we  have  something  worth 
shouting  over. 

Suddenly  remembering  my  husband  would  be 
coming  on  the  next  elevated  train,  I  ran  down  the 
stairs,  my  crutches  left  behind,  and  all  the  way  to 
the  station,  and  told  him  the  wonderful  news.  My 
ankle  was  as  strong  as  ever. 

The  mission  was  full  to  the  doors  that  night, 
and  when  the  Pastor  asked  me  to  step  to  the  plat- 
form and  tell  of  my  wonderful  healing,  and  the 
saints  saw  that  the  crutches  and  plaster  cast  were 
gone,  and  that  I  could  leap  and  dance  upon  the 
foot,  they  shouted  and  praised  the  Lord.  Many 
of  the  Chicago  onlookers  who  knew  not  the  heal- 
ing power,  doubted  that  the  ankle  had  ever  been 
broken.  When  the  word  went  back  and  the  heal- 
ing was  announced  publicty  in  Findlay,  Ohio, 
many  of  the  public  there  who  knew  it  was  broken, 
would  not  believe  it  was  healed.  How  like  human 
nature.  "If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
neither  will  they  be  persuaded  though  one  rose 
from  the  dead." 


75 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CALL    TO    FOREIGN    FIELDS. 

"And  He  said  unto  me,  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."    Mk.  16:15. 

IT  WAS  shortly  after  our  return  to  Chicago 
and  the  miraculous,  instantaneous  healing  of 
my  broken  ankle,  just  related,  that  my  hus- 
band and  myself  were  made  to  realize  in  a 
very  definite  way  that  the  time  had  come  for  us  to 
obey  the  call  to  China  which  the  Spirit  had  been 
laying  upon  his  heart  more  and  more  for  some 
time. 

We  began  praying  for  the  fare  and  clothing 
which  would  be  necessary.  As  I  have  explained, 
we  had  no  earthly  board  behind  us,  no  organiza- 
tion to  lean  upon.  We,  therefore,  looked  straight 
to  Jesus,  the  One  who  had  called  us,  and  asked 
Him  to  supply  our  every  need.  In  just  a  little 
over  two  weeks  the  necessary  clothing  and  the 
fare  had  been  donated  by  the  dear  saints  of  God, 
not  by  the  rich,  but  by  the  poor. 

We  find,  all  over  the  country,  in  our  meetings, 
that  the  rich  and  the  near-rich  will  come  to  us 
and  say : 

"Oh,  I  am  so  sorry  that  I  am  not  in  a  position 
just  now  to  give  something.  My  money  is  tied  up 
and  I  am  so  situated  that  I  am  not  able  to  do 
much  now;  how  I  wish  I  could."  And  while  they 
are  humming  and  hesitating  over  it,  the  pooj: 
step  up,  and  with  a  glad  light  in  their  eyes,  grip 
our  hands  with  a  hearty: 

"God  bless  you!  Here's  a  dollar,  or  here's  five 
or  ten,"  as  the  case  may  be;  "Oh,  I  only  wish  it 

77 


THIS  IS  THAT 

were  more,  but  I  will  have  more  when  next  week's 
pay  envelope  comes  in.  How  proud  I  am  to  have 
this  privilege!" 

Farewelling  in  Chicago,  we  went  to  Canada, 
accompanied  by  Brother  Durham,  holding  revival 
meetings  in  different  towns  and  cities  in  On- 
tario. In  London  we  found  the  Lord  still  gra- 
ciously pouring  out  His  Spirit  and  had  a  glorious 
revival  while  there  this  time. 

My  home  town  being  but  twenty  miles  distant, 
I  had  the  opportunity  of  saying  farewell  to  my 
parents,  but  even  when  Mother  waved  me  off  at 
the  depot,  she  smiled  bravely  as  far  away  as  I 
could  see  her  waving  her  handkerchief  from  the 
platform.  I  held  my  hand  out  of  the  window  and 
pointed  up,  bidding  her  look  to  Jesus. 

After  our  last  meeting  was  closed  in  Toronto, 
where  many  were  baptized  in  the  Spirit,  we 
boarded  the  train  for  St.  John's,  N.  B.,  and  as  ij 
was  pulling  out  of  the  Union  Depot,  we  heard  the 
sweet  voices  of  the  saints  singing:  "God  be  with 
you  'til  we  meet  again." 

Leaving  St.  John's,  we  set  sail  for  Liverpool, 
England.  From  there  we  went  to  Belfast,  Ire- 
land. In  Belfast  the  Lord  sent  a  wonderful  re- 
vival. In  three  weeks  over  two  score  were  bap- 
tized in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  all  spoke  in  other 
tongues. 

Mr.  Semple's  home,  which  was  in  Magherafelt, 
the  North  of  Ireland,  being  but  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant, we  visited  there.  His  dear  father  and  mother, 
two  brothers  and  two  sisters,  each  vied  with  the 
other  in  packing  the  trunk  of  new  clothing  and 
good  things  for  us.  When  at  last  the  day  of  our 
departure  had  come  they  said  "Good-bye"  to  their 
son,  and  Mrs.  Semple  (Robert's  mother)  declared 
that  the  Lord  gave  her  the  witness  right  then  that 
she  would  never  look  upon  his  face  again  in  this 
world.  But  Hallelujah!  "Greater  love  hath  no 

7B 


CALL  TO  FOREIGN  FIELDS 

man  than  this,  that  he  lay  down  his  life  for  the 
brethren." 

While  waiting  in  London,  England,  for  the 
boat  on  which  we  were  to  sail,  we  were  enter- 
tained by  dear  saints  who  showed  us  the  greatest 
hospitality  and  love.  In  attending  Pentecostal, 
services  held  in  London  we  found  that  the  Lord 
was  pouring  out  His  Spirit  in  the  very  same  way 
as  in  America,  and  that  hundreds  of  earnest 
Christians  had  been  baptized  with  the  same  Holy 
Spirit,  speaking  with  other  tongues  and  praising 
the  Lord.  It  was  here  that  the  Lord  gave  me 
that  marvelous  vision  of  the  Dispensation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  the  message  in  prophecy  which 
has  always  seemed  so  glorious  to  me  because  He 
gave  it. 

Standing  on  the  deck,  as  the  boat  slipped  away 
from  the  wharf,  we  lifted  our  voices  in  song  with 
the  crowd  of  saints  who  stood  on  the  pier.  How 
sweet  and  encouraging  their  dear  voices  sounded 
as  they  rang  over  the  ever-increasing  distance 
between  us.  As  far  as  we  could  hear  they  were 
singing: 

"God  will  take  care  of  you." 

And  when  we  could  no  longer  hear  them  we  could 
see  the  waving  handkerchiefs  and  hats  of  these 
precious  children  of  the  Most  High  God. 

Skirting  the  edge  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  we 
sailed  on  to  Gibraltar,  then  in  through  the  blue, 
sunlit  waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  to  the  Suez 
Canal,  and  on  into  the  Ked  Sea,  through  which 
the  Children  of  Israel  had  been  led  dry-shod.  We 
were  surprised  at  the  great  width  of  the  Sea, 
and  learned  that  it  was  called  the  "Red  Sea"  be- 
cause of  the  desert  wind  storms  which  blow  the 
red  sand  across  the  water,  giving  it  at  times  its 
red  appearance. 

Soon  we  were  plowing  through  the  waters  of 
the  Indian  Ocean.  After  our  visit  at  Ceylon  it 

79 


THIS  IS  THAT 

was  not  long  until  we  were  nearing  our  destina- 
tion at  Hong  Kong. 

En  route  we  gathered  good  reports  of  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Latter  Rain  in  Egypt,  India,  Cey- 
lon, Malta,  etc.,  too  lengthy  to  relate  at  this 
time.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  they  received  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  Avell  as  we,  with  the  same  Bible 
evidence,  speaking  in  tongues.  Sick  were  healed 
and  signs  and  wonders  were  wrought  in  the  name 
of  the  holy  child,  Jesus. 

On  the  boat  plentiful  opportunity  for  witness- 
ing for  Jesus  was  given  us.  My  husband  spent 
hours  and  hours  each  day  waiting  upon  God;  the 
balance  in  reading  the  Word.  It  seemed  as  though 
we  were  being  drawn  nearer  to  the  Master  every 
day,  and  belonged  less  and  less  to  this  world. 

After  weathering  a  severe  typhoon,  came  the 
day  when  we  saw,  in  the  early  morning  sunrise, 
the  mountain  of  Hong  Kong,  and  beheld  the  har- 
bor with  its  numerous  busy  sampans. 

We  were  met  by  saints  and  taken  to  the  Mis- 
sionary Home,  of  -which  Brother  Macintosh  was 
at  that  time  in  charge.  Brother  and  Sister  Dixon 
and  other  missionaries  were  here,  and  we  learned 
that  the  Latter  Bain  was  falling  in  China,  as  well 
as  in  America,  as  God's  little  children  faithfully 
proclaimed  the  truth.  Yes,  when  the  Chinese  re- 
ceive the  baptism  they  speak  in  other  tongues  just 
as  did  the  hundred  and  twenty  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost;  the  sick  are  healed  and  the  lepers 
cleansed.  Hallelujah ! 

In  China  we  felt  as  never  before  the  need  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  Comforter,  and  found  it 
much  more  difficult  to  pray  through.  It  seemed 
at  times  as  though  the  air  were  filled  with  demons 
and  the  hosts  of  hell,  in  this  wicked,  benighted 
country,  where  for  many  centuries  devil  wor- 
ship has  been  an  open  custom.  We  have  seen 
Chinese  bowing  themselves  down  before  their 

80 


CALL  TO  FOREIGN  FIELDS 

great  gods,  burning  hundreds  of  dollars'  worth  of 
paper  to  feed  their  flames  of  devotion  to  their 
gods,  and  roasting  their  pigs  and  offering  them 
with  rice  and  other  dainties  to  the  great  stone 
dragons  in  temple  and  cave. 

Ancestral  worship  is  observed  by  almost  all. 
It  is  a  peculiar  sight  to  see  them  carrying  food, 
rice,  chicken,  candied  nuts  and  fruit,  to  lay  upon 
the  graves  of  their  dead.  A  missionary  once 
asked  a  young  Chinaman  who  had  recently  been 
saved,  when  he  was  going  to  stop  taking  food  to 
the  grave  of  his  dead.  He  replied: 

"Why,  I  suppose  when  your  people  stop  taking 
flowers  as  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  their  de- 
parted." 


81 


,  • 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND. 

"When  thou  passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with 
thee;  and  through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee." 
Isa.  43:2. 

WHILE   in   China   my   husband   seemed 
to  be  drawn  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
Lord   each   day.      He   spent   hours   in 
prayer  day  and  night.    He  really  trav- 
ailed in  Spirit  for  the  Chinese,  and  often  made 
the    remark    that    he    felt    as    though    he    would 
never  return  to  America,  but  would  rise  to  meet 
the  Lord  from  China,  carrying  precious  Chinese 
souls  in  his  arms  to  Jesus.     He  used  to  sing  over 
and  over  that  little  chorus — 

"Bringing  in  the  sheaves," 
only  he  worded  it — 

"Bringing  in  Chinese, 
Bringing  in    Chinese ; 
We  shall  come  rejoicing, 
Bringing  in  Chinese." 

After  the  heat  of  the  day,  we  would  $fteii  go 
out  to  sit  on  the  beach  in  the  evening,  and  while 
different  workers  would  be  talking  together  I 
would  suddenly  miss  my  husband.  Diligent  search 
would  find  him  hidden  away  off  somewhere  be- 
hind a  boulder  or  rock,  praying  earnestly  for 
souls.  At  other  times  he  would  walk  through  the 
beautiful  graveyard  of  Happy  Valley,  reading  the 
inscriptions  of  missionaries  who  had  laid  down 
their  lives  for  Jesus.  How  beautiful  were  flowers 
and  fountains,  and  foliage — such  rare  beauty  as 
we  had  never  seen ! 

83 


THIS  IS  THAT1 

As  we  sat  many  hours  studying  and  reading 
under  these  trees,  little  did  we  realize  that  soon 
dear  Robert  was  to  be  laid  at  rest  in  this  very 
spot  in  Happy  Valley. 

The  intense  heat  and  the  filthy,  unsanitary  con- 
dition of  the  country  in  which  we  dwelt  began  to 
tell  upon  our  health.  Malaria  was  raging,  and 
to  go  out  even  for  five  minutes  at  noonday  with- 
out a  cork  helmet  and  a  heavy  parasol  meant 
almost  certain  death. 

We  were  away  down  the  coast  at  Macoe  when 
my  husband  was  taken  seriously  ill  and  was  car- 
ried, in  a  very  weak  condition,  to  the  steamer  and 
back  to  Hong  Kong  and  up  the  mountain  to  an 
English  sanitarium,  built  especially  for  mission- 
aries, where  care  was  given  free  of  charge. 

Suffering  with  malaria  in  its  worst  form,  I 
went  with  my  husband  to  the  hospital  where  we 
could  be  near  (I  in  the  ladies'  ward,  his  ward 
some  distance  away),  even  though  we  could  not 
see  each  other  except  on  visiting  days. 

Eobert  was  just  in  the  hospital  one  week,  and 
the  anniversary  of  our  second  year  of  married 
life  was  celebrated  during  this  time  by  a  little 
exchange  of  notes  sent  by  the  nurse.  During  the 
few  short  visits  I  was  permitted  to  make  to  his 
ward,  I  ever  found  his  well-worn  Bible  (the  one 
from  which  he  had  preached  me  under  conviction 
and  explained  the  way  of  salvation  and  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit),  my  husband's  constant 
companion.  It  Avas  marked  from  cover  to  cover 
and  his  fingers  seemed  to  be  always  between  its 
.pages. 

Each  day  he  grew  weaker,  and  although  I  was 
confident  the  Lord  would  heal  him,  he  felt  as 
though  his  work  were  ended,  that  he  had  fought 
a  good  fight  and  finished  his  course,  and  hence- 
forth there  was  laid  up  for  him  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness. 

84 


THE  DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND 

One  evening,  at  the  end  of  the  week,  the  doctor 
gave  me  special  permission  to  sit  with  my  hus- 
band, and  as  my  heart  leaped  with  joy  at  the 
prospect,  little  did  I  dream  the  reason  of  this 
special  kindness.  I  only  felt  grateful  to  the  doc- 
tor, and  the  thought  that  my  dear  one  was  so 
soon  to  be  taken  from  me  never  entered  my  mind. 
As  I  sat  there  by  his  bedside  a  great  lump  in  my 
throat  seemed  to  be  choking  me  as  I  gazed  at  the 
thin,  pale  face,  so  changed  in  these  few  days,  but 
feeling  that  I  must  be  brave  and  encouraging  I 
tried  in  a  pitiful  way  to  talk  cheerfully  of  the 
soon-coming  of  the  little  one  we  had  both  planned 
and  hoped  for  so  long. 

As  we  were  talking  thus  I  heard  the  click  of 
the  white-robed  nurse's  heels  as  she  came  down 
the  long  ward  to  tell  me  it  was  time  for  me  to  go 
back  to  my  own  ward  now.  And  O,  I  shall  never 
forget  the  sweet  smile  that  lit  up  his  countenance. 
Some  way  a  terrible  premonition  of  some  sorrow 
befalling  me,  an  idea  vague  and  unformed,  seized 
upon  my  heart,  and  as  I  clung  to  the  white-enam- 
eled bar  at  the  foot  of  his  bed,  I  think  he  must 
have  seen  the  look  that  swept  across  my  face, 
for — still  smiling  encouragingly — he  looked  into 
my  eyes  and  said: 

"Good  night,  dear;  I'll  see  you  in  the  morn- 
ing." These  were  the  last  words  he  ever  spoke 
to  me,  but  O,  I  know  there  is  going  to  dawn  a 
bright  and  cloudless  morning  some  of  these  days, 
when  there  shall  be — 

"No  more  parting,  no  more  tears, 
No  more  crying,  no  more  fears," 
for  these  things  shall  pass  away  when  the  Lord 
shall  come.     Why,  it  seems  that  I  can  almost  see 
the  early  rays  of  dawn  breaking  in  the  sky  just 
now,  and  the  Spirit  softly  whispers : 

"The  morning  is  at  hand ;  Jesus  is  coming  soon ; 
be  faithful  just  a  little  longer." 

85 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Good  night,  dear;  I'll  see  you  in  the  morning." 
Oh,  dear  reader,  will  you  be  there  in  the  morn- 
ing? Will  you  be  ready  to  meet  Jesus  on  that 
day? 

I  returned  to  the  bed  in  the  women's  ward  with 
an  uneasy  feeling  hard  to  describe,  and  lay  for 
hours  staring  out  into  the  darkness,  listening  to 
the  irregular  breathing  of  the  other  patients  about 
me. 

At  midnight  I  sat  up  in  bed  with  a  frightened 
start.  Out  of  the  window  at  the  foot  of  my  bed 
I  could  see  across  the  great  square  court,  and  in 
the  window  which  I  knew  to  be  beside  my  hus- 
band's bed  I  saw  a  bright  light  burning.  Some 
way  a  great  terror  seized  upon  my  soul,  as  I  heard 
the  quick  step  of  the  night  nurse  coming  along  the 
corridor  connecting  the  two  wards.  Straight  to 
my  bed  she  came,  and  with  a  tense  catch  in  her 
voice  that  I -will  never  forget,  she  told  me  to  slip 
on  my  kimono  and  slippers  and  to  hurry  to  the 
next  ward,  that  my  husband  was  very  ill. 

"He's  not — he's  not — not — d — dying?"  I  man- 
aged to  gasp  through  my  stiff  lips. 

"Come  quick!  He  is  sinking  fast,"  were  the 
words  that  sounded  like  a  death  knell,  as  we  hur- 
ried down  the  long  passage  to — what? 

"Death? — O,  surely  not;  it  couldn't  be,"  I  rea- 
soned. I  had  never  seen  anyone  die.  I  was  not 
yet  twenty  years  of  age,  and  away  out  here  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  globe  from  the  Mother 
who  had  always  shielded  and  protected  me  from 
every  wind  that  blew. 

"Dying?  Impossible!  Why,  what  of  the  little 
one  that  is  to  come?  Surely  he  will  live  to  see 
her  clad  in  the  glory  of  the  tiny  wardrobe  so 
proudly  tucked  away?"  All  these  thoughts  raced 
like  lightning  through  my  mind.  I  was  as  one 
dazed.  My  lips  were  trembling;  my  knees  shook 
till  I  could  scarcely  walk. 

86 


THE  DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND 

Then,  as  I  stood  by  his  bed,  and  saw  that  even 
unconscious  as  he  was,  the  light  of  the  glory  world 
illuminated  his  face,  I  sank  down  in  a  heap  by 
his  side  and  clung  to  his  cold  hand.  He  did  not 
open  his  eyes,  did  not  see  me.  However,  I  think 
he  must  have  been  seeing  Jesus,  so  rapt  was  the 
expression  that  lighted  up  his  countenance. 

Then,  at  that  moment,  when  all  the  world 
seemed  to  be  crumbling  and  slipping  from  beneath 
my  feet,  the  Comforter,  the  blessed  Holy  Spirit, 
whom  Jesus  had  sent,  rose  up  within  me  and  re- 
vealed Jesus  in  such  a  precious  way,  made  the 
will  of  God  so  sweet,  showed  the  prepared  man- 
sions so  real  that  I  shouted  "Glory!"  by  the  death 
bed  of  Robert  Semple,  from  whom  I  had  never 
dreamed  of  parting.  Waves  of  joy  rolled  over  my 
soul,  and  I  was  lifted  from  earth  to  heaven,  and 
it  seemed  as  though  I  accompanied  him  right  to 
the  pearly  gates.  "The  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord 
taketh  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

When  I  felt  the  doctor  shaking  me  by  the  shoul- 
der, I  at  last  raised  my  head  from  the  bed,  and 
loosened  my  clasp  on  the  dear,  cold  hand.  Stoop- 
ing to  kiss  the  cold  forehead  for  the  last  time,  I 
realized  the  great  need  of  the  Comforter.  He  did 
not  fail  me,  but  sweetly  spoke  in  my  ears : 

"He  is  not  here;  he  is  risen." 

O  dear  friend,  never  again  say  that  you  have  no 
need  of  the  Comforter  whom  Jesus  sent.  It  is  not 
only  in  the  hour  of  rejoicing  on  the  mountain-top 
that  you  need  Him,  but  in  sorrow's  dark  hour, 
down  in  the  valley  and  the  shadow  of  death,  you 
too  need  the  Comforter.  Hallelujah !  You  must 
not  think,  when  you  see  us  dancing  and  shouting 
for  very  joy  in  the  meeting,  that  it  is  all  excite- 
ment and  surface  blessings,  for  this  is  not  true. 
Ah  no,  the  Holy  Spirit  still  abides  when  the  feet 
are  led  doAvn  into  the  dark  waters  and  it  seems 
as  though  the  floods  would  overflow — then  He  is 

87 


THIS  IS  THAT 

there  to  comfort  and  uphold;  and  when  we  pass 
through  the  fiery  furnace  He  reveals  the  form  of 
the  Fourth,  like  unto  the  Son  of  God,  as  never 
before. 

Oh,  how  we  thank  you,  dear  Jesus,  that  you 
ever  said:  "I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless;  I 
will  send  another,  even  the  Holy  Ghost." 

I  was  never  permitted  to  look  upon  the  face  of 
my  dear  one  again,  as  the  doctor  was  anxious  to 
spare  me  all  suffering  possible,  but  Oh,  how  could 
I  have  borne  it  when  I  saw  them  pulling  down 
the  shades  in  hopes  that  I  would  not  see,  and 
heard  the  heavy  tread  of  feet  as  they  carried  their 
burden  past  our  windows  and  down  the  steps,  if 
it  had  not  been  for  this  precious  Holy  Spirit? 

Our  slender  funds  were  well-nigh  exhausted  and 
an  immediate  demand  for  money  and  funeral  ex- 
penses was  the  next  thing  to  be  considered,  so  I 
lifted  my  heart  to  the  Lord  who  had  said  : 

"Take  no  thought  ...  I  will  supply  your 
needs."  The  afternoon  mail  of  that  very  day 
brought  a  letter  from  two  dear  sisters  in  Chi- 
cago, containing  sixty  dollars.  The  letter  was 
dated  one  month  previous  and  stated  that  the 
Lord  had  awakened  them  up  in  the  middle  of  the 
night  saying: 

"Little  Sister  Semple  is  in  trouble.  Rise  im- 
mediately and  send  her  sixty  dollars."  They  had 
gotten  up  and  sent  the  money,  and  here  it  was  at 
the  spot  just  when  needed.  Oh  hallelujah!  It 
had  arrived  long  before  the  hasty  cablegram  to 
my  dear  Mother  could  have  brought  the  necessar}r 
funds  from  her  ever-ready  heart. 

Morning  after  morning,  of  the  month  that  fol- 
lowed, I  would  wake  up  with  a  scream  as  my 
great  loss  swept  over  me,  and  I  thought  of  the 
little  one  who  would  never  see  her  father.  Then 
the  Comforter  would  instantly  spring  up  within 
me  till  I  was  filled  with  joy  unspeakable,  and  my 

88 


THE  DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND 

hot,  dry  eyes  would  flow  with  tears  of  love  and 
blessing. 

Then  came  the  little  daughter,  a  tiny  mite  of 
a  thing,  but  Oh  such  a  comfort!  Here  again  the 
Comforter  was  Avith  me.  Truly  Jesus  is  a  hus 
band  to  the  widow  and  a  Father  to  the  father- 
less. I  named  the  little  one  Koberta,  after  her 
father,  Kobert.  It  was  in  Hong  Kong,  on  the  top 
of  the  mountain,  that  my  tiny  little  daughter  was 
born,  and  when  she  was  six  weeks  old  I  sailed 
to  Shanghai. 

On  leaving  Shanghai  we  went  to  Japan,  Moji, 
Kobe,  Nagasaki.  Upon  leaving  Japan  we  set  sail 
for  Honolulu  and  the  U.  S.  A.,  I  carrying  my  pre- 
cious little  burden  in  a  Japanese  basket. 

Mother  had  sent  money,  some  of  which  I  had 
not  yet  received,  and  on  the  boat  I  kept  figuring 
up  and  found  that  there  was  not  enough  to  take 
me  clear  across  the  continent.  Without  telling 
my  needs  to  an  earthly  soul  I  kept  looking  up 
to  Jesus  and  witnessing  for  Him  every  occasion 
I  found  on  the  boat.  My  feelings  on  this  return 
trip  I  will  not  try  to  describe,  but  Oh,  there 
seemed  to  be  such  a  great  big,  vast  emptiness 
yawning  all  about  me,  and  I  snuggled  the  dear 
little  warm  bundle,  Roberta,  closer  to  my  heart. 

As  I  was  stepping  off  the  steamer  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  purser  came  running  after  me,  and 
touching  me  on  the  arm,  said: 

"Oh  wait  a  minute!  Here  is  something  for 
you  from  the  passengers."  Opening  the  envelope 
which  he  slipped  into  my  hand,  I  found  sixty- 
five  dollars  which  had  been  donated  by  them. 

All  through  the  trip  it  seemed  as  though  there 
were  not  one  thing  which  I  needed  but  the  Lord 
quickly  sent.  It  was  nearing  Christmas  time, 
and  China  being  so  warm,  I  had  nothing  but  the 
lightest  of  bonnets  for  the  baby.  I  was  in  my 
state  room,  turning  the  tiny  bonnet  on  my  fingers, 

89 


THIS  IS  THAT 

thinking  that  I  should  have  a  warm  one  for  her 
when  I  reached  the  snow  of  our  own  land,  when 
a  rap  came  at  my  door  and  a  lady's  voice  said: 

"Oh,  we  have  just  brought  the  baby  a  warm 
eiderdown  bonnet  and  cape.  You  are  sure  to  need 
it," 

At  another  time  I  was  wishing  for  a  heavy 
shawl  for  her.  The  porter  came  to  the  state  room, 

saying  that  Mr. ,  who  had  gotten  off  at  the 

last  port  in  Japan,  had  left  this  warm  woolen 
shawl,  which  he  declared  he  would  no  longer  need, 
with  instructions  that  it  was  to  be  given  to  "that 
little  missionary  lady  with  the  baby."  It  was  a 
beautiful,  expensive  shawl.  How  I  did  praise 
Jesus ! 

At  another  time  a  thermos  bottle  was  needed. 
Without  a  word  to  a  soul  it  was  brought  to  my 
door  and  quietly  handed  in.  These  are  only  a  few 
of  the  many  things  that  I  might  tell  you  of  how 
He  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb  and  ten- 
derly watches  over  His  little  children. 

On  board  the  train,  which  was  speeding  across 
the  Kocky  Mountains  and  heading  toward  Chi- 
cago, I  was  afflicted  for  the  first  time  in  my  life 
with  train-sickness,  and  was  obliged  to  remain  in 
my  berth  for  a  couple  of  days.  Different  pas- 
sengers had  warned  me  that  we  had  one  of  the 
crankiest  old  conductors  on  this  car  they  had  ever 
seen,  and  not  to  ask  any  favors  of  him  under  any 
consideration.  But  Oh,  my  Lord  can  make  a  lion 
as  gentle  as  a  lamb  and  turn  the  bitter  into  sweet, 

That  dear  conductor  walked  the  floor  hour  after 
hour  and  took  care  of  the  baby  for  me,  even  carry- 
ing her  nursing  bottle  in  his  pocket  to  keep  it 
warm.  Praise  the  Lord! 

After  a  few  days'  stop  in  Chicago,  we  journeyed 
on  to  New  York  City,  where  my  Mother  was 
engaged  in  Salvation  Army  work.  As  the  train 
pulled  into  the  depot  she  was  there  to  meet  me, 

90 

: 


THE  DEATH  OF  MY  HUSBAND 

and  I  held  the  baby  in  one  arm,  but  with  the  other 
was  still  able  to  point  up  to  the  sky  to  Jesus, 
just  as  I  had  when  the  train  had  last  pulled  out 
for  China.  Praise  the  Lord.  When  you  have  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  your  heart  He  will  help  you  to  still 
keep  your  hand  up  and  "Keep  on  praising  God." 


91 


CHAPTER  x. 

NINEVEH    TO    TARSHISH— AND    RETURN. 

"Then  Jonah  prayed  unto  the  Lord  his  God  out  of  the 
fish's  belly  .  .  .  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  the  fish,  and  it 
vomited  out  Jonah  upon  the  dry  land. 

And  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  Jonah  the  second 
time,  saying, 

Arise,  go  unto  Nineveh,  and  preach  unto  it  the  preaching 
that  I  bid  thee. 

So  Jonah  arose,  and  went."    Jonah  2:1,  10.     3:1  to  3. 

HAVE  you  ever  had  a  secret  tucked  away 
in  the  closet  of  your  Christian  experi- 
ence which  you  shrank  from  exposing 
to    the    sunlight    of    public    gaze    and 
criticism? — a  spot  where  somewhere  on  your  spir- 
itual anatomy,  so  sore  that  the  very  thought  of  its 
being  touched. by  a  curious,  probing  finger  made 
you  wince? — a  certain  period  of  your  life  which 
you    would    a    little    rather    not    have    generally 
known   or  discussed,   all   of   which   has   long  ago 
been  confessed,   forgiven   and  buried  beneath  the 
cleansing  blood? 

Have  you,  in  telling  your  experience,  been 
tempted  to  take  a  hop,  *  skip  and  a  jump  over 
your  deviations  from  the  straight  and  narrow 
path  of  God's  best  and  perfect  will  for  you? 
Have  you  felt  like  leaping  over  and  omitting, 
when  telling  your  Christian  experience,  the  things 
which  should  have  been  omitted  in  real  life? — 
Well,  that  has  just  been  my  case  exactly. 

If  this  were  to  be  a  fine-sounding  story  of  a  con- 
tinued forward  march,  without  ever  such  a  thing 
as  a  waver,  this  chapter  would  never  be  written. 
The  Lord  has  made  me  to  long,  however,  that 
each  step  of  my  experience  may  be  a  blessing  and 

93 


THIS  IS  THAT 

an  encouragement  to  someone.  It  is  easy  to  tell 
of  the  times  when  we  have  lived  in  victory,  run  the 
heavenly  race  without  a  single  tumble,  and  when 
God  has  blessed  us  and  made  us  a  blessing:  the 
hours  of  defeat,  when  we  stumbled  in  the  dark- 
ness by  the  way,  however,  may  be  of  more  bless- 
ing to  the  poor  backslider  who  is  groping  his 
way  back  to  light,  than  any  other  experience 
could  be. 

The  Lord  had  been  wonderfully  with  me 
through  the  ordeal  of  my  husband's  death,  sub- 
sequent events,  and  my  return  to  the  homeland. 
At  times  the  awful  waters  of  loneliness  through 
which  I  waded,  however,  seemed  as  though  they 
would  roll  over  my  head,  but  each  time  He  was 
with  me  to  comfort  and  bear  me  up. 

The  following  year  found  me  battling  against 
the  swift,  contrariwise  tide,  struggling  to  keep  my 
feet,  and  to  take  up  the  broken  thread  of  my 
life  where  last  left  oft*.  My  work  in  the  meeting; 
necessitated  taking  with  me,  and  .often  keeping 
out  till  midnight,  and  as  late  as  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  my  frail  little  daughter,  who  even- 
tually became  very  ill.  I  was  given  expert  advice 
upon  her  frail  condition  and  was  told  that  I 
would  be  responsible  for  her  life  if  I  did  not  "get 
her  a  quiet  home  and  proper  food,  as  the  constant 
moving  about  and  changing  food  would  be  the 
death  of  the  child." 

I  had  come  home  from  China  like  a  wounded 
little  bird,  and  my  bleeding  heart  was  constantly 
pierced  with  curious  questions  from  well-meaning 
people  who  could  not  see  the  will  of  God  in  our 
call  to  China,  and  who  felt  that  there  must  be 
a  mistake  somewhere,  either  in  Robert's  sudden 
death  or  my  return  home.  I  could  not  answer 
them,  not  being  able  to  see  the  will  of  God  in 
all  this  yet  myself.  Wherever  I  went  amongst 
the  dear  people  who  had  helped  to  send  us  to 

94 


NINEVEH   TO   TARSHISH — AND   RETURN 

China,  I  would  seem  to  feel  an  atmosphere  of 
questioning  (whether  spoken  or  unexpressed), 
which  little  by  little  wore  upon  me  until  soon  I 
began  to  feel  like  some  guilty  thing  who  had 
no  business  to  be  there,  but  far  aAvay  somewhere — 
I  could  not  tell  just  where. 

Oh !  how  I  longed  for  some  one  who  would  un- 
derstand or  put  their  arms  about  me  and  help 
me  at  this  critical  moment  of  my  life,  and  this 
was  just  the  time  that  the  Lord  permitted  those 
I  loved  best  to  seem  to  draw  aside  the  arms  that 
had  been  before  so  strong  and  dependable,  causing 
a  little  curtain  of  reserve  to  drop  between  us, 
leaving  me  on  the  outside  with  my  baby. 

Looking  at  it  in  the  natural,  it  is  hardly  to  be 
wondered  at  that,  like  Hagar,  with  my  child,  I 
departed  and  wandered  in  the  wilderness,  and 
that  I  lifted  up  my  voice  and  wept.  Pentecost 
seemed  as  the  mistress,  dealing  hardly  with  me. 
and  God  as  Abraham  who  apparently  did  not 
intervene  in  my  behalf. 

The  loom  of  life  seemed  then  to  be  but  a 
tangled  maze  whose  colorings  had  suddenly 
plunged  from  mountain-tops  of  sunlit  glory  to  the 
depths  of  a  seemingly  endless  valley  of  bewilder- 
ing gloom.  It  is  only  now,  after  having  watched 
through  the  succeeding  years  the  steady  flying  to 
and  fro  of  the  shuttles  of  destiny,  ever  guided  by 
the  tender  wisdom  of  the  Hand  Divine,  that  I 
begin  to  see  the  head  and  form  of  the  Master 
being  wrought  out  and  woven  upon  the  loom  of 
my  life. 

It  was  just  at  the  time  of  my  greatest  perplex- 
ity, when  I  lad  begun  to  lose  out  spiritually  and 
wander  awa.Y  *">m  the  Lord,  and  was  longing^to" 
make  a  homtf  P»  the  baby,  that  I  married  again. 
Before  the  mj^JTage  took  place,  however,  I  made 
one  stipulation  wherein  I  told  my  husband  that 
all  my  heart  and  spul  was  really  in  the  work  of 

95 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  Lord  and  that  if,  at  any  time  in  my  life,  He 
should  call  me  to  go  to  Africa  or  India,  or  to  the 
Islands  of  the  Sea,  no  matter  where  or  when,  I 
must  obey  God  first  of  all.  To  this  he  agreed 
and  we  were  married  under  these  conditions,  and 
settled  down  in  a  furnished  apartment. 

Disturbed  and  troubled  in  my  heart,  stepping 
out  of  the  work  of  the  Lord,  I  turned  again  to 
the  world,  endeavoring  to  stifle  my  longings  to 
be  reinstated  at  the  banqueting  table  of  my  King. 

I  wonder  if  there  is  anyone  on  earth  who  is 
really  as  abjectly  miserable  as  the  backslider?  It 
was  such  a  relief  to  be  able  to  stay  away  from 
the  meetings,  and  yet  such  a  pain  to  be  away 
from  them  (if  you  can  analyze  that),  that  I  was 
torn  between  the  two  conflicting  forces.  Some 
of  the  saints  saw  me  backsliding  and  drifting 
into  the  world,  and  my  position  became  still  more 
intolerable. 

When  my  husband  received  an  invitation  from 
his  mother  to  come  to  her  home  in  Rhode  Island 
I  was  willing  to  consent  to  board  the  boat  in  my 
endeavor  to  "flee  unto  Tarshish  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord." 

But  Oh?  dear  reader,  what  a  great  wind  the 
Lord  sent  out  into  the  sea!  Such  a  mighty  tem- 
pest was  there  in  the  deep  that  our  frail  domestic 
craft  was  rocked  to  and  fro,  so  that  the  ship 
was  like  to  be  broken. 

Day  by  day  matters  grew  worse  instead  of  bet- 
ter; I  grieved  and  mourned  and  wept  for  my 
Jesus  and  the  old-time  place  in  Him.  I  was  a 
mystery  and  a  constant  source  of  Discomfort  to 
those  round  about  me*—  ^  / 

Earthly  things — home — comfort  ^^li,  what  did 
these  matter?  I  was  out  of  'Hi^degJr  will,  and 
my  soul  refused  to  be  comforted. 

Shutting  myself  awa}7  in  my  room  I  would  sit 
on  the  floor  in  the  corner  be£:-nd  the  bed,  and 

96 


NINEVEH   TO  TARSHLSH — AND  RETURN 

cry  over  and  over  the  one  word  that  I  could  say 
when   I  tried  to  pray: 

"Oh— Oh— Jesus!  Jesus!  Jesus!!  JESUS!" 

Seeing  my  unhappy,  melancholy  state,  my  moth- 
er-in-law advised  us  to  rent  and  furnish  a  home 
of  our  own,  saying  that  the  work  would  occupy 
my  mind  and  keep  me  from  thinking  so  much 
about  myself.  This  was  done.  With  the  help 
of  our  parents  and  our  own  earnings,  a  well-fur- 
nished home  was  made,  containing  all  that  heart 
could  wish— B-U-T  J-E-8-U-8,  and  Oh,  without 
Him  nothing  matters ! 

"Why  can't  you  be  happy  and  act  like  other 
folks,  and  forget  your  troubles?"  I  was  asked 
again  and  again.  Time  after  time  I  tried  to  shake 
myself  from  my  lethargy  and  depression  and  busy 
myself  with  household  duties.  Such  a  fever  of 
restlessness  came  upon  me  that  it  seemed  as 
though  I  must  wear  the  polish  off  the  furniture 
and  the  floors  by  dusting  them  so  often.  A  dozen 
times  a  day  I  would  take  myself  to  task  as  I 
would  catch  sight  of  my  tearful  face  in  the  look- 
ing-glass, saying: 

"Now,  see  here,  my  lady,  this  will  never  do! 
What  right  have  you  to  fret  and  pine  like  this? 
Just  see  those  shining,  polished  floors,  covered 
with  soft  Axminster  and  Wilton  rugs.  Just  look 
at  that  mahogany  parlor  furniture  and  the  big 
brass  beds  in  yonder,  the  fine  bathroom  done  in 
blue  and  white,  the  steam  heat,  the  softty-shaded 
electric  lights,  the  pretty  baby's  crib  with  its 
fluff  and  ribbons,  the  high-chair  and  the  rocking- 
horse.  Why  aren't  you  glad  to  have  a  home  like 
this  for  the  babies,  as  any  other  mother  would  be?" 

"Why,  it's  perfectly  ridiculous  for  you  to  think 
of  going  out  into  the  world  again,  and — remem- 
ber— if  you  found  it  hard  with  one  baby  before, 
what  do  you  suppose  you  would  do  now  with 
two?" 

97 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Having  had  it  thus  out  with  myself,  I  would  re- 
turn to  my  work,  half  satisfied  for  a  few  min- 
utes, saying: 

"Well,  yes,  that's  so.  I  had  better  give  up  all 
thoughts  of  such  things,  settle  down  and  get 
used  to  my  present  life." 

But,  Oh,  the  Call  of  God  was  on  my  soul  and 
I  could  not  get  away  from  it.  For  this  cause  I 
had  been  brought  into  the  Avorld.  With  each 
throb  of  my  heart  I  could  hear  a  voice  saying: 

"Preach  the  Word!  Preach  the  Word!  Will 
you  go?  Will  you  go?"  and  I  would  throw  my- 
self on  my  knees,  tearfully  sobbing: 

"Oh?  Lord,  You  know  that  I  cannot  go.  Here 
are  the  two  babies  and  here  is  the  home,  and  here 
is  husband,  who  has  not  the  baptism  and  is 
not  even  seeking  it.  I  will  work  here  in  the  local 
mission,  and  that  will  do."  But  no,  the  answer 
still  came  back,  clear  from  heaven : 

"Go!  DO  THE  WORK  OF  AN  EVANGEL- 
IST; Preach  the  Word!  The  time  is  short;  I 
am  coming  soon." 

"Oh,  Lord,  I  am  in  a  pretty  state  to  preach 
the  Gospel,  I  am.  Why,  I  feel  so  miserable  and 
down  and  crushed.  I  need  someone  to  help  me 
instead  of  me  helping  others."  At  times,  lifting 
my  eyes  quickly  after  prayer,  I  could  almost  see 
the  devil  rubbing  his  hands  and  leering  at  me, 
saying : 

"There's  no  hope.  You  might  just  as  well  give 
up.  Everyone  knows  you've  backslidden,  and 
would  have  no  confidence  in  you."  Then  would 
ensue  another  spell  of  bitter  weeping. 

My  husband  and  his  mother  would  often  say : 

"Well,  Aimee — I  don't  see  what  more  you  want. 
I  don't  believe  anything  could  make  you  happy. 
It  must  be  your  disposition."  (Why,  bless  the 
Lord,  when  in  His  will  I  am  so  happy  and  full 
of  gladness,  my  feet  and  my  heart  are  so  light, 

98 


NINEVEH   TO   TARSHISH — AND   RETURN 

that  they  can  not  keep  from  dancing.  It  seems 
that  no  one  on  earth  could  possibly  be  so  happy 
as  I.) 

My  nerves  became  so  seriously  affected  that 
the  singing  of  the  teakettle  upon  the  stove  or  the 
sound  of  voices  was  unbearable.  I  implored  the 
little  one  to  speak  in  whispers.  I  hated  the  sun- 
shine and  wanted  to  keep  the  shutters  closed  and 
the  window-shades  drawn  tightly.  The  doctors 
said  I  would  lose  my  reason  if  something  was  not 
done.  I  became  very  ill  in  body  and  inside  of  one 
year  two  serious  operations  were  performed.  Each 
time,  before  going  under  the  surgeon's  knife,  and 
during  many  other  times  of  critical  illness,  when 
it  seemed  as  though  I  were  going  to  die,  I  would 
call  the  saints  to  pray  for  me  that  I  might  be 
delivered,  but  each  time  they  prayed  I  could 
plainly  hear  the  voice  of  the  Lord  saying: 

"Will  you  go?  Will  you  preach  the  Word?"  I 
knew  that  if  I  said  "Yes,"  He  would  heal  me. 
But  how  could  I  say  "Yes?"  Difficulties  rose 
like  mountains  in  my  path.  Oh,  now  I  have 
learned,  that  no  matter  what  the  obstacles  may 
be,  if  Jesus  says  "Go,"  and  I  start,  by  the  time 
the  obstacle  is  reached  I  will  either  be  lifted  over 
it  or  it  will  be  gone.  God  does  not  ask  us  to  do 
the  impossible.  If  He  tells  you  to  do  a  thing, 
no  matter  how  hard  it  seems,  you  just  start  to 
do  it  and  you  will  find,  like  Christian  of  old,  that 
the  lions  are  fettered  and  unable  to  hinder  your 
progress. 

After  the  first  operation  I  was  worse  instead 
of  better.  Complications  set  in,  heart  trouble, 
hemorrhages  from  my  stomach,  and  intense  ner- 
vousness among  others.  The  doctors  said  that  an- 
other operation  would  be  necessary. 

Oh,  that  home  which  I  had  thought  to  enjoy! 
Almost  all  my  enjoyment  was  what  I  could  see 
from  my  bed!  I  wonder  if  Jonah  had  nearly  as 

99 


THIS  IS  THAT 

rough  a  passage  as  I  did  when  he  ran  away  and 
disobeyed  God.  His  trip  was  not  as  long  as  mine 
anyway.  We  read  that  Jonah  paid  his  fare,  and 
I  certainly  paid  mine  to  the  uttermost  farthing. 

The  second  operation  was  put  off  and  put  off, 
with  some  vague  hope  of  trusting  God,  but  how 
could  I  trust  Him  when  out  of  His  will,  and 
when  every  time  in  prayer  I  got  the  answer  which 
throbbed  and  pounded  through  my  being  with 
every  pulse-beat — 

"Will  you  go?  Will  you  go?  Preach  the  Word! 
Preach  the  Word!" 

At  last,  doubling  over  with  a  scream  with 
appendicitis,  on  top  of  all  else,  I  was  rushed  again 
to  the  hospital.  As  I  was  being  prepared  for  the 
operating  table  I  prayed  earnestly  from  my  val- 
ley of  despair — 

"Oh,  God,  please  take  me  home  to  be  with  You. 
It  doesn't  seem  possible  for  me  to  go  back  and  I 
certainly  cannot  bear  it  to  go  on.  I  am  a  misery 
to  myself  and  to  everybody  round  about  me. 
Please,  please  take  me  home  to  be  with  You." 
But  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  that  He  spared  me.  Praise 
His  precious  name. 

After  I  had  come  out  from  under  the  ether  and 
the  knife,  wherein  five  operations  in  one  had  been 
performed,  the  poor,  unconscious  "what-there-was- 
left-of-me"  was  put  back  in  the  bed  and  I  opened 
my  eyes  on  the  white  walls  of  the  hospital- 
quivering  with  pain  from  head  to  foot,  which,  in- 
stead of  growing  better  grew  worse  and  worse. 

Twice  my  mother  had  been  called  by  a  tele- 
gram to  see  me  die.  Her  heart  was  torn  as  the 
wheels  of  the  train  sped  over  the  track,  and  she 
prayed  that  she  might  be  there  in  time.  From 
the  depot  she  was  rushed  to  the  hospital,  and 
chokes  up  yet,  as  she  sits  here  beside  me  and  tries 
to  describe  her  feelings  as  she  entered  the  room 
reeking  with  ether,  and  looked  upon  the  little 

1QQ 


NINEVEH   TO   TAKSHISH — AND   RETURN 

form  lying  on  the  pillow  that  had  been  the  center 
of  so  many  scenes  of  hope  and  life  and  happiness. 

She  thought  of  the  day  she  had  prayed  for  the 
little  girl  who  should  go  out  in  the  world  to 
preach  the  Word,  the  day  of  the  dedication  under 
the  banners  of  blood  and  fire,  the  golden  future 
of  joyful  service,  and — here — was  the  wreck! — 
Was  this  all? 

Something  within  her  refused  to  let  go  of  God 
and  His  promises  to  her  regarding  me.  Whilst 
the  doctors  and  nurses  in  the  outer  room  were 
gravely  explaining  to  her  the  scientific  reasons 
why  I  could  not  live,  explaining  that  mine  had 
been  such  an  exceptional  case,  and  endeavoring  to 
reconcile  her  to  my  death,  her  heart  was  going 
out  in  an  agony  of  prayer  to  God  that  her  daugh-, 
ter's  life  would  be  spared. 

Brokenly  she  wept  and  prayed,  renewing  and 
redoubling  her  vows  to  God  to  help  in  every  way 
to  get  me  back  into  the  work  and  keep  me  there, 
to  do  all  in  her  power  to  help  me  with  my  child- 
ren and  in  every  struggle,  come  what  may. 

The  nurses,  hardened  as  they  were  by  long 
training,  were  frankly  in  tears,  and  the  doctor 
"herumphed !"  and  cleared  his  throat  as  I  came 
out  of  the  ether,  and  declared  that  that  hospital 
had  never  witnessed  such  a  scene,  for  I  was 
preaching,  telling  of  Jesus,  begging  lost  souls  to 
come  to  Him,  in  that  high  strong  voice  which 
patients  have  when  coming  out  from  the  anaes- 
thetic. Broken  though  I  was  in  body  and  spirit, 
the  very  moment  that  reason  lost  her  sway,  my 
soul  began  to  sing  and  preach  and  pray  to  my  be- 
loved Jesus. 

Later  Mother  came  into  my  room,  and  kneeling 
down,  looked  into  my  eyes  and  said : 

"Mother  is  here,  darling.  Mother  will  help. 
She  understands  and  will  stand  by  you,  dear."  In 
the  look  which  was  exchanged  it  seemed  as  though 

101 


THIS  IS  THAT 

a  spark  of  hope  and  understanding  was  instilled 
and  glowed  in  both  of  our  souls,  which  has  never 
gone  out,  but  has  burst  into  a  flame,  ever  mount- 
ing upward  as  days  go  by. 

One  evening,  after  a  nurse  and  doctor  had  been 
in  almost  constant  attendance  all  afternoon,  three 
young  internes  came  in  and  gathering  me  gently 
in  their  arms,  carried  me,  mattress  and  all,  into 
the  separate  room  where  people  were  taken  to 
die. 

About  two  in  the  morning  the  white-robed 
nurse,  who  had  been  stroking  my  hand,  saying: 
"Poor  little  girl;  poor  little  girl,"  seemed  to  be 
receding.  The  fluttering  breaths  which  I  could 
take  were  too  painful  to  go  deeper  than  my  throat. 
Everything  grew  black — someone  said: 

"She's  going."  Just  before  losing  conscious- 
ness, as  I  hovered  between  life  and  death,  came 
the  voice  of  my  Lord,  so  loud  that  it  startled 
me: 

"NOW— WILL— YOU— GO?"  And  I  knew  it 
was  "Go,"  one  way  or  the  other:  that  if  I  did  not 
go  into  the  work  as  a  soul-winner  and  get  back 
into  the  will  of  God,  Jesus  would  take  me  to 
Himself  before  He  would  permit  me  to  go  on  with- 
out Him  and  be  lost. 

Oh,  don't  you  ever  tell  me  that  a  woman  can 
not  be  called  to  preach  the  Gospel!  If  any  man 
ever  went  through  one  hundredth  part  of  the  hell 
on  earth  that  I  lived  in,  those  months  when  out 
of  God's  will  and  work,  they  would  never  say 
that  again. 

With  my  little  remaining  strength,  I  managed 
to  gasp: 

«Yes— Lord— I'll— go."     And  go   I   did! 

I  could  not  have  been  unconscious  for  more 
than  a  moment,  but  when  I  opened  my  eyes  the 
pain  was  gone.  I  was  able  to  take  deep  breaths 
without  the  agony  which  had  accompanied  the 

102 


NINEVEH   TO   TARSHISH — AND   RETURN 

tiniest  breath  before.  I  was  able  to  turn  over 
without  pain,  and  proceeded  to  do  this,  much  to 
the  alarm  of  the  nurse.  In  two  weeks,  to  the 
amazement  of  everyone,  I  was  up  and  well,  though 
weak  in  body.  I  have  hardly  known  an  ache  or 
a  pain  from  that  day  to  this. 

On  several  occasions  before  and  after  my  return 
from  the  hospital,  little  attempts  were  made  to 
break  the  news  of  my  determination  to  go  forth 
into  the  vineyard  at  once. 

"Why,  what  a  crazy  notion  for  you  to  even 
think  of  such  a  thing!  Why  don't  you  be  like 
other  young  women  and  be  contented  to  stay  at 
home  and  attend  to  the  housework?"  and  other 
outbursts  of  like  nature  invariably  met  my  timid, 
yet  firm  ventures  to  gain  the  consent  of  the  house- 
hold. 

Too  weak  to  argue,  I  was  also  too  weak  to  dare 
even  think  of  disobeying  God.  That  great  white 
whale,  the  operating  table,  had  thrown  me  up  on 
the  shore.  The  Lord  had  spared  my  life  under  a 
definite  promise  that  I  would  serve  Him.  Fool- 
ish and  impossible  as  the  idea  might  seem,  I  was 
going  to  strike  out  for  Nineveh,  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation,  live  or  die,  sink  or  swim,  pray- 
ing for  Divine  guidance  and  filled  with  a  deter- 
mination to  say  "Yes"  to  that  call — 

"Will  you  Go?  Will  you  Go?"  I  did  not 
know  just  how  or  where  I  was  to  go,  but  intended 
to  start  anyway,  and  that  at  once,  throwing  my- 
self at  His  feet  and  trusting  Him  implicitly.  I 
was  assured  that  He  who  parted  the  Red  Sea  and 
rolled  back  the  waves  of  the  Jordan  would  some- 
way remove  rivers  and  mountains  for  me  and 
take  me  through  the  fires  unburned. 

Mother  now  being  in  Canada,  I  telegraphed 
there  for  money;  and  when  alone  in  the  house  one 
night,  'phoned  for  a  taxicab,  and  at  eleven  o'clock 
bundled  my  two  babies  inside  while  the  chauffeur 

103 


THIS  IS  THAT 

piled  thie  two  suitcases  on  top,  and  away  we  sped 
to  catch  the  midnight  train  for  home  and  Mother. 
To  make  a  new  start  and  begin  all  over  again  it 
seemed  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  to  go 
back  to  the  starting  place  from  which  I  had  set 
out  before. 

God  was  with  me  and  I  was  conscious  of  His 
leading  and  support  at  every  step.  With  my  little 
baby  clasped  in  one.  arm  and  Roberta  sleeping  in 
the  other,  I  held  them  tightly  to  me  as  the  immen- 
sity of  what  I  was  doing  swept  over  me.  The 
streets  wene  dark  and  almost  deserted  as  we 
rolled  along  toward  the  depot. 

So  here  I  was  setting  forth  for  the  second  time 
in  my  life  to  obey  the  great  call  to  preach  the 
Word,  but  how  different  it  was  from  the  first 
time — how  changed  the  scene! 

Scene  One.  The  first  time  it  was  high  noon 
and  the  warm,  friendly  sun  smiled  and  beamed 
down  upon  us  from  the  sky — life  and  hope  spread 
their  garments  before  the  little  rosy-cheeked  bride 
as  she  was  waved  away  by  tearful  but  loving  and 
sympathetic  friends  and  relatives,  one  hundred 
or  more  of  whom  had  gathered  on  the  country 
lawn,  some  coming  many  miles  to  see  her  off, 
showering  her  with  flowers,  rice  and  "God 
bless  you's."  That  time  I  had  gone  forth  leaning 
in  every  way  for  strength,  wisdom  and  guidance 
on  the  strong  arm  of  my  husband;  blest  and  vic- 
torious in  my  soul.  An  open  door  of  ministry 
lay  before  us;  wie  were  sure  of  our  footing,  knew 
just  where  we  were  going. 

Scene  Two :  Setting  forth  alone — at  midnight 
— almost  running  away — with  my  two  babies- 
weak  in  body — empty  and  lean  in  my  soul — no 
earthly  arm  to  lean  upon — no  visible  open  door 
before  me — no  loving  friends — no  flowers  or  "God 
bless  you's."  But  Oh,  I  praise  Jesus  for  the  ex- 
perience! Nothing  could  tempt  me  to  part  with 

104 


NINEVEH    TO   TAKSHLSH — AND    RETURN 

the  lessons  taught  me  in  those  hard  places  of 
going  through  alone  with  Jesus  and  thrusting 
my  roots  of  faith  and  dependence,  confidence  and 
trust  down  deep  into  Himself. 

My  former  life  in  the  work  had  been  like  that 
of  a  vine  which  twined  about  the  stalwart  oak, 
but  when  that  stronghold  to  which  I  clung  had 
been  taken  away  and  transplanted  into  the  heav- 
enly gardens,  when  my  clutch  had  been  loosened 
and  let  go  there  was  nothing  left  of  the  vine,  that 
had  reached  so  high,  but  a  pitifully  broken, 
crumpled  little  heap  which  lay  in  tumbled  confus- 
ion on  the  earth.  But  now  I  had  found  One  to 
cling  to  and  fasten  my  hold  upon  who  was  as  the 
cedars  of  Lebanon,  who  wrould  endure  forever, 
from  whom  I  could  not  be  removed — One  who 
would  never  die  nor  leave  me.  Oh,  it  was  Jesus! 
Jesus ! ! 

Yes,  thank  God  for  the  hard  places,  for  the 
winds  and  the  icy  blasts  of  winter's  storm,  for 
Oh,  'twas  there  I  learned  for  the  first  time  a  little 
of  what  it  meant  to  be  rooted  and  grounded  and 
settled — to  die  out  and  to  go  through  a  valley  of 
crucifixion  that  led  to  resurrection  power  and 
glory. 

Did  you  ever  ride  along  through  a  tunnel  or 
subway  that  was  pitch  dark  and  seemingly  end- 
less?— then  all  at  once,  away  in  the  distance,  you 
saw  a  tiny  light  which  you  knew  must  be  the 
opening  of  the  tunnel  and  sunlight?  That's  just 
the  way  I  felt.  I  was  still  in  the  darkness  of  the 
tunnel,  but  I  saw  the  door,  the  beacon  light  of 
God's  dear  sunlight — His  smile  of  approval,  and 
I  was  running  toward  it. 

"Here  we  are,  lady,  just  in  time!"  broke  in  the 
voice  of  the  driver,  as  the  car  pulled  up  at  the 
curb  in  front  of  the  depot. 

I  can  not  remember  now  how  those  two  sleep- 
ing children  and  all  the  baggage  were  gotten  on 

105 


THIS  IS  THAT 

board,  but  I  do  know  that  a  few  minutes  later, 
when  the  train  steamed  out  into  the  night  and 
sped  through  the  fields  and  the  sleepy  towns,  we 
were  all  on  board  and  the  babies  sleeping  as 
sweetly  as  they  ever  had  in  their  lives  in  the  snow- 
white  Pullman  bed. 

I  was  obeying  God,  and  although  the  enemy  was 
still  endeavoring  to  hound  my  tracks  with  accusa- 
tions and  forebodings  of  future  disaster,  he  had 
someway  lost  his  grip  and  his  power  to  overthrow 
me.  When  he  twitted  me  with  the  leanness  and 
the  barrenness  of  my  soul,  that  hurt  the  most  of 
anything  because  it  was  so  true,  my  heart  sang 
within  me: 

"Never  mind,  Rebecca's  on  her  way  to  the  well — 
to  the  fountain-head — to  the  sure  source  of  sup- 
ply— to  the  banqueting  table  of  the  King,  and 
we'll  soon  be  filled  up  now." 


106 


CHAPTER  XL 

GETTING  BACK. 

"For  ye  were  as  sheep  going  astray;  but  are  now  returned 
unto  the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  your  souls."  I  Pet.  2:25. 

WHEN  the  11 :55  pulled  into  the  station 
of  Ingersoll  my  Father  and  Mother 
were  there  to  meet  me — so  was  the 
pony  I  used  to  ride.  She  was  only  a 
colt  then,  but  she  knew  me  and  whinnied  af- 
fectionately. 

"Suppose  she  knows  you?"  said  Dad. 

"Surely  she  does/7  I  smiled.  And  as  if  to  remove 
all  doubts  on  the  matter,  Fritzie  lifted  her  right 
front  foot  to  shake  hands  and  quivered  all  over 
as  she  nozzled  my  cheek  with  her  velvet  nose, 
smacking  her  lips  and  pretending  to  hunt  for  the 
old-time  sugar  lump — both  tricks  I  had  taught  her 
long  ago — my,  how  long  it  did  seem!  Was  it  cen- 
turies or  was  it  just  years? 

Usually  Fritzie  was  quite  staid,  but  how  she  did 
pick  up  her  heels  and  run  that  day!  It  seemed 
as  though  she  couldn't  get  home  and  out  of  her 
harness  quickly  enough  to  play  with  me.  I  won- 
dered if  she  remembered  how  we  used  to  leap  the 
fences,  and  the  time  she  followed  me  right  into  the 
kitchen  and  stamped  about,  to  the  dismay  of  my 
Mother. 

How  familiar  arid  restful  and  green  the  dear  old 
fields  looked  on  that  drive  homeward.  Here  was 
the  old  toll-gate.  A  mile  beyond  was  the  place 
where  I  had  given  my  heart  to  Jesus  and  cried 
"Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner/'  as  the  sleigh 
jingled  along,  drawn  by  Fritzie's  mother.  A  mile 

107 


THIS  IS  THAT 

beyond  that  again  was  the  little  white  school  house 
on  the  corner.  Every  foot  of  the  w»ay  was  associ- 
ated with  girlhood  memories. 

No  explanations  were  asked,  but  Mother  in- 
formed me  that  IfTiad  all  T)een  settled  that  I  was 
to  leave  for  the  Pentecostal  camp  meeting  at 
Kitchener  (then  called  Berlin)  the  next  day.  She 
herself  had  planned  to  attend,  but  immediately 
upon  the  receipt  of  my  telegram  had  given  up  all 
thought  of  going  and  had  written  to  engage  accom- 
modations for  me. 

"But,  Mother! — the  children — would  I  be 
able— " 

"Never  mind  the  children,"  she  interrupted.  "I 
have  taken  care  of  children  before  and  cared  for 
Roberta  almost  all  the  time  anyway,  and  Rolf 
and  I  will  get  along  fine,  won't  we,  Sonny?"  A 
delighted  gurgle  and  a  wide  smile,  that  displayed 
the  new  baby  teeth,  was  his  response. 

"Yes,  and  we've  got  the  best  Jersey  milk  in  the 
country  'to  make  him  grow  like  a  weed,"  boasted 
my  Father,  as  if  to  conclude  the  subject. 

"But — but — how  can  I  get  back  to  Kitchener, 
when  I  feel  so  leaked  out  spiritually?  The  last 
time  I  was  there  was  with  Brother  Durham  and 
Robert.  I  was  so  blest;  prayed  for  the  seekers. 
What  would  they  think? 

"But,  I'll  go,  Mother.  Oh,  I  am  so  happy,  so 
glad  for  the  opportunity.  Are  you  sure  that  the 
extra  work  will  not  be  too  much  for  you?" 

"Too  much  work? — I  should  say  not!  Oh, 
Aimee,  nothing  is  too  much  or  too  hard  to  see  you 
get  back  to  God  and  back  to  the  place  where  He 
wants  you.  Will  you  promise  me  that  you  will 
come  back  in  this  meeting?  We  will  stand  by 
you,  and  God  will  help  you." 

But  I  needed  no  coaxing  nor  inducement — hav- 
ing set  my  face  like  a  flint,  and  though  all  the 

108 


GETTING   BACK 

world   were  pulling  the  other  way   I  MUST  go 
through — any  other  course  meant  death. 

Before  leaving  the  next  morning  for  the  camp, 
a  telegram  was  sent  to  my  husband,  saying: 

"I  have  tried  to  walk  your  way  and  have  failed. 
Won't  you  come  now  and  walk  my  way?  I  am 
sure  we  will  be  happy." 

At  Kitchener  we  were  met  with  the  wagon  which 
carried  the  passengers  and  baggage  to  the  camp 
grounds.  I  soon  found  myself  alighting  in  the 
little  city  of  tents,  pitched  in  snow  whiteness  be- 
neath the  green  foliage  of  the  forest  trees.  Glad 
hands  and  familiar  faces  gathered  round  to  wel- 
come me  back,  but  I  felt  conscience-  and  duty- 
bound  to  make  an  embarrassed,  but  hasty,  explana- 
tion to  one  and  all  that  I  was  not  where  I  once 
was,  and  said  to  them — 

"I  prayed  for  others  when  they  needed  prayer. 
Now  I  need  someone  to  pray  for  me  and  help  me 
get  back  the  blessing  and  fire  of  God  upon  the 
altar  of  my  heart." 

Perhaps  some  of  you  can  imagine  my  feelings  as 
I  sat  in  the  audience  looking  up  at  the  platform 
whereon  sat  different  ones  whom  but  a  few  years 
before  I  had  prayed  with  when  they  came  through 
the  baptism.  There  they  were,  shaking  and  quiv- 
ering under  the  power,  faces  radiant — hallelujahs 
ringing — and  here  sat  I,  dabbing  at  my  eyes  with 
a  wet  handkerchief  and  saying: 

"Oh  Jesus,  You  used  to  bless  me  like  that.  I  used 
to  shake  under  the  power  and  praise  you  just  like 
that. 

"Oh,  bless  me  now,  my  Savior; 
I  come  to  Thee." 

(All  through  the  months  of  my  disobedience  to 
God,  the  Holy  Spirit  had  never  left  me,  but  had 
prayed  through  me  in  tongues  many  times,  and 
was  indeed  an  abiding  Comforter.  Oh,  the  mercy, 

109 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  the  long-suffering  of  God!     How  little  I  de- 
served it!) 

When  the  call  for  the  altar  service  came  I  stole 
forward  amongst  the  others  and  bowed  at  the 
altar,  feeling  utterly  unworthy  to  touch  even  one 
of  the  rough  planks  which  formed  its  floor.  All  I 
could  do  was  bow  my  head  and  weep.  The  brother 
in  charge  came  along  and  said : 

"Now,  Sister,  lift  up  your  hands  and  praise  the 
Lord,  just  as  you  used  to  tell  others  to  do."  But, 
Oh  no,  I  felt  that  I  had  much  to  make  right  with 
the  Lord  first — that  I  must  beg  Him  to  forgive 
me  and  apologize  and  humble  myself  in  the  dust 
before  Him.  How  little  Ave  know  after  all  of  the 
great  loving  heart  of  God  who  runs  to  meet 
the  penitent  soul  even  as  the  father  ran  to  meet 
the  prodigal  of  old. 

Brokenly  I  begtan  to  sob : 

"Oh,  Lord,  forgive  m—  '  before  I  could  finish 
the  words  I  felt  as  though  the  Lord  had  put  His 
hand  over  my  mouth  and  said  to  me: 

"There,  my  child,  it's  all  right.  Don't  say  any- 
thing more  about  it."  This  was  so  sudden  and  un- 
expected I  could  not  comprehend  it,  but  thought 
surely  I  must  be  mistaken, — surely  I  would  have 
to  beg  and  plead  for  hours  and  it  would  be  very 
hard  to  get  back  to  God  after  having  been  so  dis- 
obedient and  wandering  away.  So  I  settled  my- 
self down  and  tried  it  again— 

"Oh  Lord,  dear  Lord,  can  you  ever  forgive 
me—  ''  a.gain  came  the  same  peculiar  sensation  as 
of  the  Lord  stopping  my  mouth  and  saying: 

"It's  all  right;  it's  all  forgiven.  Don't  say  any 
more  about  it."  It  was  just  as  though  someone 
had  injured  me  in  some  way,  had  come  to  me  to 
ask  forgiveness,  and  I  had  said: 

"Oh  yes,  that's  all  right.  Never  think  of  it 
again.  Just  forget  it." 

110 


GETTING  BACK  , 

Well,  the  suddenness  and  the  magnitude  of  this 
hearty  reception  completely  bowled  me  over.  It 
broke  my  heart  and  bound  me  to  Him  more  than 
any  whipping  could  ever  have  done.  Such  love 
was  more  than  my  he!art  could  bear.  Before  I 
knew  it  I  was  on  my  back  in  the  straw,  under  the 
power,  saying: 

"Dear  Lord,  just  let  me  be  as  one  of  your  hired 
servants.  I  do  not  feel  worthy  to  testify  or  work 
at  the  altar  or  preach,  but  just  let  me  love  you 
and  dwell  in  your  house,  my  Saviour." 

The  next  thing  I  knew  the  Spirit  was  speaking 
in  tongues  through  me,  giving  me  the  interpreta- 
tion. A  brother  from  London  had  a,  message  in 
tongues — the  Lord  gave  me  the  interpretation  of 
that — and  he  fell  back  under  the  power.  I  was 
laughing  and  weeping  and  shaking.  A  little  knot 
of  people  gathered  round  to  rejoice  with  me.  The 
Spirit  lifted  me  to  my  feet  and  1  walked  up  and 
down  praising  the  Lamb  for  sinners  slain.  Palling 
on  my  knees  I  worshipped  the  Lord  again. 

A  dear  old  Mennoriite  preacher  who  had  been 
seeking  his  baptism  for  years  was  kneeling  at  the 
other  end  of  the  platform.  It  had  been  my  privi- 
lege to  pray  for  his  brother  as  he  came  through 
to  the  baptism  the  night  before  we  left  for  China. 
The  Lord  seemed  to  guide  me  to  this  brother  now, 
and  walking  on  my  knees,  with  my  hands  out- 
stretched before  me,  something  within  me  spoke : 

"In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost."  Immediately  the  brother  fell  to  the 
ground  and  was  speaking  in  tongues  almost  before 
he  reached  it.  After  all  his  years  of  waiting,  tjje 
Comforter  had  come  in  like  a  flash  of  glory  to 
abide  forever. 

The  old-time  power  and  the  anointing  for  pray- 
ing with  seekers  rested  upon  me.  Many  other  in- 
stances, which  I  will  not  refer  to  here,  took  place. 
Rut  Oh,  the  Lord  did  not  let  these  wonderful 

111 


THIS  IS  THAT 

answers  to  prayer,  as  I  prayed  for  the  seekers, 
come  to  puff  me  up,  but  to  encourage  me.  It  was 
balm  to  my  wounded,  troubled  soul. 

Never  have  I  worked  harder  at  the  altar  serv- 
ices in  our  own  meetings  than  at  that  camp  meet- 
ing. We  stayed  as  late  as  twelve  and  sometimes 
two  in  the  morning,  praying  for  seekers  and  were 
up  again  to  early  morning  meeting.  He  was 
restoring  my  soul,  He  was  leading  me  out  to  green 
pastures.  I  had  come  to  this  camp  meeting  to 
see  God,  and  Oh,  how  He  did  reveal  himself  to 
me! 

Camp  over,  I  returned  to  my  Mother's  to  find 
her  happily  running  the  sewing  machine  on  the 
piazza,  making  clothes  for  the  children,  who  were 
laughing  in  the  hammock  that  swung  beneath  the 
apple  trees.  Delightedly  I  repeated  the  story  al- 
ready written  in  my  letters  of  the  blessing  of  the 
Lord  upon  my  soul,  and  added  that  I  had  but  one 
week  to  wash  and  iron  my  things  and  get  ready 
for  the  next  camp  meeting,  which  was  to  be  held 
in  London,  twenty  miles  away,  the  very  city  where 
the  Lord  had  taken  my  husband  and  myself  to 
carry  the  message  of  Pentecost  some  years  before. 

Happy  to  do  anything  to  advance  my  Saviour's 
cause,  I  had  been  given  the  task  of  painting  a 
great  twenty-five  foot  banner,  roping  and  prepar- 
ing it  to  go  across  the  street,  advertising  the  meet- 
ings. 

Within  the  house  was  a  little  pile  of  letters, 
demanding  my  immediate  return  "to  wash  the 
dishes,"  "take  care  of  the  house"  and  "act  like 
other  women."  But  I  had  put  my  hand  to  the  Gos- 
pel plow,  and  I  could  not  turn  back.  I  was  going 
through,  and  I  had  the  assurance  that  the  Lord 
would  bring  my  husband  also.  I  certainly  never 
could  win  him  the  other  way  and  he  would  have 
had  to  have  parted  with  me  for  good  if  I  had  died, 
which  I  surely  would  have  done  had  I  remained 

112 


GETTING   BACK 

out  of  the  work.  I  was  going  through;  Jesus  was 
with  me  and  nothing  in  all  the  world  mattered 
now.  My  heart  was  right  with  God. 

Although  in  many  ways  the  enemy  endeavored 
to  discourage,  frighten  and  turn  me  back,  as  he 
did  poor  Christian  in  Pilgrim's  Progress,  and 
though  the  tests  were  hard  and  his  tactics  cun- 
ningly planned,  Jesus  held  me  firm  and  did  not 
allow  me  to  swerve  from  my  path  nor  stumble  in 
the  way. 

The  blessed  London  camp  meeting  over,  th;e 
Lord  strongly  impressed  me  to  accept  an  invita- 
tion from  Sister  Sharp  of  Mount  Forest,  Ont.,  to 
conduct  Bible  meetings  there  in  a  little  hall  called 
"Victory  Mission."  The  power  and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  came  down  in  a  precious  way.  The  mis- 
sion soon  became  too  small  to  hold  the  people; 
we  were  obliged  to  hold  the  services  on  the 
spacious  lawn  between  the  Sister's  home  and  the 
mission.  Such  a  spirit  of  revival  came  down  upon 
the  people  that  soon  a  tent  was  bought,  hungry 
people  filled  it  night  after  night  and  those  who 
could  not  get  in  stood  in  rings  round  its  border. 

Then  came  the  day  when  the  power  fell.  It  was 
half  past  ten  in  the  morning,  and  in  my  room  I 
was  praying: 

"Oh  Lord,  send  Thy  mighty  power  today.  Lord, 
send  the  power.  Send  the  power,  Lord." 

Outside,  in  the  tent,  two  brothers  shook  hands 
with  each  other  and  said : 

"Praise  the  Lord."  As  they  spoke  the  power 
of  God  struck  them  both;  one  fell  one  way,  and 
one  the  other,  and  lay  stretched  out  under  the 
power  shouting  and  glorifying  God.  Little  child- 
ren began  to  come  in  off  the  street  to  see  what  it 
meant.  One  look  was  sufficient  and  away  they 
ran  to  bring  others  to  see  the  strange  sight. 

Mrs.  Sharp's  mother,  who  had  a  very  sore  and 
badly  poisoned  foot,  came  hobbling  out  of  the 

113 


THIS  IS  THAT 

house,  her  knee  on  a  chair  which  she  used  as  a 
means  of  conveyance.  No  sooner  did  she  reach 
the  tent  that  the  power  struck  her  and  she  tipped 
over  (chair  and  all)  was  healed,  and  later  danced 
and  praised  the  Lord. 

Sister  Sharp  came  running  into  the  tent,  and 
down  she  went,  The  toAvn  crier,  Avho  used  to 
ring  the  bell  advertising  theatres,  ball  games,  etc., 
came  in,  and  over  he  went  with  his  bell,  and  lying 
under  the  power  added  his  voice  with  the  others 
to  the  praises  of  the  most  high  God. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  go  on  and  relate 
the  wonderful  wray  in  which  Jesus  worked  in  this 
meeting,  to  tell  how  the  town  was  stirred,  how  our 
Sister  was  haled  before  the  magistrate  and  lib- 
erated, how  over  a  hundred  were  saved  and  scores 
received  the  baptism,  as  dear  Sister  Sharp  has  her- 
self written  an  account  of  the  meetings,  which  you 
will  find  related  in  Chapter  One,  Part  II,  of  this 
book. 

However,  I  must  tell  you  the  best  news  of  all, 
for  right  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  meetings  which 
was  held  in  Mount  Forest,  my  husband  landed 
with  his  suitcase,  to  attend  the  meeting. 

So  changed  was  I,  so  radiantly  happy,  so  filled 
with  the  power  of  God  and  the  unction  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  he  had  to  admit  that  this  was  indeed 
my  calling  and  work  in  life.  Before  many  hours 
had  passed  he  himself  had  received  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  spoke  in  tongues  and  glorified 
God. 

How  the  Lord  does  vindicate  and  honor  those 
who  go  through  with  Him!  As  my  husband  saw 
the  workings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  sinners  coming  to 
the  altar  for  salvation,  believers  receiving  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  heard  me  delivering  the  messages 
under  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  for  truly  it  was  not 
I,  but  Christ  that  lived  in  me,  he  told  me  that  he 
recognized  that  God  had  called  me  into  this  work 

114 


GETTING  BACK 

and  would  not  have  me  leave  it  for  anything  in 
the  world.  And  through  the  succeeding  years, 
though  part  of  the  time  he  is  with  me  and  part  of 
the  time  elsewhere,  the  Lord  has  made  him  per- 
fectly willing  for  me  to  go  on,  whether  he  is  along 
or  not. 

The  Lord  has  wonderfully  blessed  and  supplied 
my  every  need  and  the  needs  of  the  two  children, 
for  food,  clothing  and  traveling  expenses.  We 
have  lacked  no  good  thing.  The  way  has  been 
groAving  brighter  and  brighter  day  by  day.  •  The 
harvest  of  souls  is  increasing  month  by  month. 
The  work  is  spreading  out  and  the  nets  are  filled 
with  abundance  of  fish.  Glory !  Glory ! !  GLORY ! 


115 


CHAPTER  XII. 

REVIVAL  FIRES  FALL 

"And  Elijah  .  .  .  repaired  the  altar  of  the  Lord  that 
was  broken  down. 

Then  the  fire  of  the  Lord  fell,  and  consumed  the  burnt 
sacrifice  .  .  .  And  when  all  the  people  saw  it,  they  fell  on 
their  faces  and  said,  The  Lord,  He  is  God."  I  Kings  18:30, 
38,  and  39. 

AFTER  the  meeting  at  Mount  Forest  the 
Lord  called  us  back  to  the  U.  S.  A.  to 
dispose  of  our  little  store  of  earthly 
goods  and  to  give  me  also  an  oppor- 
tunity to  work  with  my  own  hands  and  feet  to 
help  raise  the  money  with  which  to  purchase  a 
new  40x80  Gospel  tent  which  the  Lord  had  shown 
me  definitely  it  was  His  will  for  us  to  have.     We 
had  the  assurance  that  the  balance  would  be  in  by 
the  time  the  tent  was  to  be  paid  for,  and  true  to 
His  word,  offerings  began  to  be  handed  to  us  in 
the  little  meetings. 

THE  TENT  MEETING  IN  PROVIDENCE,  R.  I. 
The  new  tent  was  to  have  been  ready  for  our 
camp  meeting,  which  was  to  begin  June  first,  but 
the  Lord  intervened  and  did  not  allow  it  to  be 
completed  on  time.  Knowing  little  of  the  winds 
and  power  of  the  elements  which  have  to  be  taken 
into  consideration  when  picking  out  a  location  for 
a  tent  meeting,  we,  in  our  ignorance,  selected  a 
fine,  high  hill,  on  the  bluff  of  the  bay  where  those 
who  came  to  meeting  could  enjoy  the  breeze  and 
the  water.  That  there  was  a  breeze  no  one  who 
was  there  and  saw  the  tents  go  down  could  deny. 
Whatever  else  the  location  may  have  lacked  in, 

117 


THIS  Ig  THAT 

the  breeze  was  ever  there.  If  anything  could  have 
discouraged  us  with  tent  work,  surely  our  exper- 
ience in  Providence  would  have  done  so,  but  praise 
the  Lord,  He  did  not  permit  our  n<ew  tent  to  be 
completed,  and  therefore  the  tent  company  put 
up  an  old  tent  of  their  own  which  had  almost  seen 
its  day,  and  cost  us  nothing  for  the  damage  done 
to  it. 

But  in  spite  of  wind  and  the  hours  of  struggle 
to  drive  the  stakes  and  tie  the  ropes  and  keep  the 
tents  up,  the  Lord  sent  thousands  of  people  to 
the  camp  meetings  and  many  precious  souls  wept 
their  way  to  Jesus'  feet  and  received  the  blessed 
Holy  Spirit,  the  Comforter  whom  Jesus  sent. 

Neighbors  who  were  utterly  indifferent  at  first 
when  they  saw  our  valiant  struggles  with  the  wind 
and  storms,  came  to  our  help  and  toiled  with  us. 
Then,  feeling  they  had  some  interest  in  the  tent 
which  they  had  worked  so  hard  to  keep  up,  came 
in  to  hear  the  message  delivered  in  it,  and  were 
brought  to  the  Lord — one  whole  family  was  saved 
in  one  night. 

The  series  of  meetings  was  almost  over  when  one 
forenoon  the  last  wind  storm  came,  and  in  spite 
of  all  our  efforts,  down  went  the  big  tent  with 
many  tears  in  its  rotten  old  seams  which  we  had 
worked  for  hours  to  sew  up,  just  a  short  time  ago. 
My  husband,  who  had  worked  faithfully  each  time, 
was  discouraged,  and  declared  that  that  tent  could 
not  be  put  up  again.  He  had  taken  a  position  and 
returned  to  secular  work,  and  would  not  be  back 
that  day,  but  I  knew  that  hundreds  would  be  there 
for  the  night  meeting.  I  could  not  manage  that 
big  tent  alone,  so  with  the  help  of  a  little  boy,  in 
the  heat  of  the  noon  hour,  we  set  to  work.  We 
had  ten  small  10x12  tents  scattered  about  in  dif- 
ferent places  in  the  grounds;  some  had  been 
erected;  some  were  still  in  their  bags.  These  we 
carried,  one  by  one,  raised  them  on  their  poles, 

118 


REVIVAL   FIRES    FALL 

stretched  the  canvas  and  drove  the  stakes,  lashing 
them,  pole  to  pole,  all  in  one  straight  row.  This 
had  the  appearance  of  one  long  tent,  one  hundred 
feet  long  and  twelve  feet  wide  (if  you  can  imag- 
ine hoAV  that  looked).  Then  we  carried  in  the 
chairs.  By  this  time  people  were  arriving  and 
they  turned  in  and  helped  us. 

How  the  Lord  did  bless  our  efforts,  this  tent 
was  so  low  the  wind  could  not  take  it  down.  Souls 
were  swept  into  the  Kingdom ;  many  danced,  shook 
under  the  power,  and  received  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Two  sisters  from  Onset  Bay,  Cape  Cod,  who 
attended  the  meeting,  asked  us  to  ship  our  tent 
there  and,  undismayed  by  the  experiences  in  Provi- 
dence, we  shipped  the  tent.  Although  we  have  low- 
ered our  tent  several  times  since,  never  once  have 
we  ever  had  our  tent  torn  down  by  the  wind  from 
that  day  to  this. 

Before  going  to  Onset  a  short  meeting  was  held 
at  Montwait  Camp  grounds,  Massachusetts,  and 
the  Lord  blessedly  poured  out  of  His  Spirit,  sav- 
ing and  baptizing  hungry  souls.  The  enemy  was 
still  testing  my  faith  and  endeavoring  to  draw  me 
back  from  the  work,  but  thank  God,  my  feet  were 
kept  from  slipping,  even  though  many  times 
I  have  had  to  go  through  alone.  When  the  meet- 
ing was  almost  over  in  Montwait  the  Lord  spoke 
to  my  husband,  in  Providence,  E.  I.,  in  three 
dreams,  calling  him  to  leave  his  secular  work  in 
the  plant  where  he  was  employed  and  come  and 
assist  me  with  the  tents. 

ONSET  BAY. 

In  Onset  our  new  tent  was  pitched  in  the  Holi- 
ness Camp  ground,  and  though  the  battle  was 
hard,  Jesus  gave  victory.  The  war  against  spirit- 
ualism, Christian  Science,  and  demon  powers  was 
hot  and  heavy,  but  we  sang  and  preached  the 

119 


THIS  IS  THAT 

blood  of  Jesus  until  the  break  came  and  the  Lord 
poured  out  His  Spirit. 

COKONA,  L.  I.,  N.  Y.  <* 
While  yet  in  Onset  the  Lord  began  to  speak  to 
me  of  Corona  and  different  times  when  praying, 
would  bring  the  word  "Corona"  before  me.  I 
had  been  asking  the, Lord  for  a  typewriter  and 
thought  He  was  going  to  give  me  a  Corona  as  the 
word  kept  ringing  in  my  ears,  when  a  letter  came 
through  the  mail,  however,  from  a  dear  colored 
sister,  stating  that  the  Lord  had  directly  led  her 
to  send  for  us  to  come  to  Corona,  L.  L,  (just  out- 
side of  New  York  City)  to  hold  a  meeting.  My 
spirit  quickened  within  me  as  the  Lord  gave  the 
witness  that  this  was  that  which  He  had  been 
speaking  of. 

The  weather  now  being  too  cold  for  tent  meet- 
ings in  the  East,  we  asked  the  Lord  to  supply  the 
means  whereby  we  might  ship  our  tents  to  Flor- 
ida, where  it  would  be  warm  enough  for  a  winter 
campaign,  and  still  praying  to  this  end,  wie  went 
to  Corona. 

Upon  first  arrival  this  seemed  a  most  discourag- 
ing field.  No  one  but  this  precious  colored  sister 
was  known  to  have  received  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  according  to  Acts  2:4.  Though  we 
walked  for  blocks,  not  a  hall  could  we  find  to  rent, 
but  I  kept  praying,  and  though  everyone  else 
doubted  my  call,  I  knew  that  God  had  sent  me. 
Finally  word  came  from  the  Swedish  church  that 
we  would  be  welcome  to  open  meetings  there 
during  the  week. 

The  second  night  the  church  was  filled  to  the 
door,  though  church  members  had  been  warned  by 
their  ministers  to  keep  away  from  the  Pentecostal 
people  and  have  nothing  to  do  with  those  folks  who 
talked  in  tongues.  Just  one  week  from  the  day 
meetings  were  opened  the  break  came.  A  Sunday 

120 


REVIVAL   FIRES    FALL 

School  teacher  from  one  of  the  large  churches,  a 
man  whose  sound  Christian  standing  had  beeA 
known  for  years,  was  the  first  to  receive  the  bap- 
tism. The  wife  of  a  leading  citizen  was  the  second, 
and  Avhen  the  altar  call  was  given  scores  from  the 
audience,  which  was  made  up  entirely  of  church 
members,  gathered  about  the  altar. 

Never  having  seen  a  Pentecostal  meeting,  they 
were  very  stiff  and  did  not  know  how  really  to 
get  hold  and  seek  the  Lord.  Knowing  that  their 
ministers  had  warned  them  that  this  was  all  hyp- 
notism, however,  I  was  very  careful  not  to  lay 
hands  upon,  or  speak  to  the  seekers,  but  prayed 
by  my  own  chair  earnestly: 

"Oh,  Lord,  send  the  power.  Lord,  honor  your 
Word  just  now." 

Then  it  was  that  Mrs.  John  Lake,  who  had  risen 
from  the  altar  and  taken  her  seat  in  the  audience 
again,  suddenly  fell  under  the  power,  with  her 
head  upon  her  husband's  shoulder.  In  alarm  the 
people  said  : 

"She  has  fainted.  Bun  and  get  some  water." 
But  I  knew  she  hadn't  fainted,  and  I  kept  on  pray- 
ing: 

"Lord,  send  the  power.     Baptize  her  just  now." 

Quite  a  crowd  had  gathered  round  her,  but  be- 
fore they  could  get  back  with  the  water,  praise 
the  Lord,  her  lungs  began  to  heave  with  the  power, 
her  chin  began  to  quiver,  and  she  broke  out  speak- 
ing with  other  tongues  to  the  amazement  and  de- 
light of  all. 

On  and  on  she  spoke,  in  such  a  clear,  beautiful 
language,  her  face  shining  with  the  glory  of  the 
Lord.  One  would  say  to  another: 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?"  and  others  would 
say: 

"Oh,  isn't  it  wonderful,  marvelous!  How  I 
wish  I  had  the  same  experience!" 

121 


THIS  IS  THAT 

The  news  of  this  well-known  sister's  baptism 
quickly  spread  through  the  town.  The  next  night 
three  were  slain  under  the  power  and  came 
through  speaking  in  tongues,  and  thus  the  meet- 
ings increased  in  power,  numbers  and  results  each 
night. 

After  preaching  in  the  church  one  week,  Pastor 
W.  K.  Bouton  invited  us  to  his  church  to  preach 
on  a  Thursday  night.  (After  Avarning  his  people 
not  to  come  near  our  meetings  he  had  come  him- 
self.) 

The  Lord  had  convinced  him  of  the  truth  that 
there  was  something  deeper  yet  for  himself  and  his 
church. 

The  night  on  which  we  spoke  at  his  church  I 
had  to  ask  the  Lord  not  to  let  me  be  afraid  or 
overawed  by  the  visiting  ministers  who  sat  be- 
hind me  on  the  platform,  and  to  give  me  liberty 
and  power  in  preaching  His  Word  and  He  never 
fails.  He  remembers  our  weakness,  praise  His 
name. 

As  I  spoke,  hearty  "Amens"  and  "Hallelujahs" 
came  from  all  over  the  church.  I  felt  that  I  must 
preach  the  truth  without  compromise  or  fear  at 
least  once  in  this  church  as  they  might  never  ask 
me  again.  When  finished  I  took  my  seat,  not  pre- 
suming to  give  an  altar  call  in  someone  else's 
church. 

The  Minister  rose  and  said: 

"How  many  of  you  people  believe  what  Sister 
McPherson  has  said  to  be  the  truth,  feel  that  you 
have  not  received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  Bible  way,  and  would  like  to  receive  this 
experience?  Lift  your  hands." 

They  tell  me  that  every  hand  in  the  church  wen{ 
up.  (My  eyes  were  so  full  of  tears  of  joy  I  really 
could  not  say.) 

The  people  rose  from  their  seats  and  flocked  up 
the  aisles,  gathered  completely  round  the  chancel 

122 


REVIVAL   FIRES   FALL 

rail,  inside  the  chancel,  right  behind  the  pulpit, 
and  prayed  between  the  pews  and  all  over  the 
church  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  What 
a  glorious  sight  it  was!  This  church  had  been 
kept  clean  from  concerts  and  suppers  and  worldly 
amusements.  Through  their  consecrated  pastor 
they  had  been  brought  up  to  the  place  where  they 
were  just  ready  to  be  swept  into  the  fulness  of 
the  Spirit's  power. 

Three  received  the  baptism  that  night.  One 
lady  fell  by  the  organ,  another  at  the  other  side 
of  the  church.  Then  two  brothers  who  had  not 
been  on  speaking  terms  with  each  other  for  over 
a  year  were  seen  talking  to  each  other  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  church.  One  had  asked  the  other,  with 
tears  in  his  eyes,  to  forgive  him,  and  immediately 
fell  back  in  his  brother's  arms  under  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Alarmed,  his  brother  lowered 
him  to  the  floor. 

I  do  not  believe  the  scenes  in  that  dear  church 
could  be  described  this  side  of  heaven.  Each 
time  someone  fell  under  the  power  the  people 
would  run  to  that  side  of  the  church.  When  some- 
one would  fall  on  the  other  side  they  would  turn 
and  go  over  there.  It  was  all  so  new  and 
strange. 

The  Pastor,  however,  did  not  run  to  look  as 
the  rest  did,  but  kneeled  by  his  pulpit  with  his 
hands  over  his  face,  looking  through  his  fingers 
every  once  in  a  while  to  keep  a  watch  on  proceed- 
ings. ( Laughing  over  it  together  later,  when  he  had 
received  his  baptism,  I  told  him  it  appeared  as 
though  he  believed  in  the  verse  that  told  us  to 
"watch  and  pray.")  He  was  yearning  for  the 
power  of  God,  and  yet  naturally  fearful  lest  his 
people  should  be  led  into  confusion  and  error. 

Seeing  the  questions  and  excitement  of  the  peo- 
ple as  the  power  of  God  prostrated  their  dear  ones, 
the  enemy  whispered: 

123 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Well,  you  will  never  have  an  invitation  back  to 
this  church  now.  There  never  was  anyone  stretched 
out  under  the  power  on  that  green  carpet  before. 
They  will  never  ask  you  back  here  again." 

Oh  ye  of  little  faith,  wherefore  did  ye  doubt? 

At  midnight,  when  the  meeting  was  beginning 
to  break  a  little,  the  Pastor  touched  me  on  the 
arm  and  said: 

"Sister,  we  have  talked  this  over  with  the  offi- 
cials and  the  church  is  yours  for  as  long  as  you 
want  it,  and  when  you  want  it.  When  shall  we 
have  the  next  meeting?" 

"Tomorrow  night,"  I  replied. 

Tomorrow  night  found  the  church  not  only  filled 
to  the  doors,  but  the  vestry  and  Sunday  School 
rooms  as  well, — this  night  seven  received  the  bap- 
tism. The  Minister  invited  me  to  preach  the  Bible 
evidence  of  the  baptism — speaking  in  other  tongues 
as  the  Spirit  gives  utterance — and  to  take  full 
liberty  in  every  way. 

During  altar  service  he  kneeled,  looking  through 
his  fingers  once  in  a  while,  at  the  strange  proceed- 
ings taking  place  in  his  dignified  congregation. 
Sinners  broke  down  and  wept  their  way  to  Jesus- 
feet — Protestants  and  Catholics  alike.  Such  pray- 
ing and  calling  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  the 
minister  feared  would  result  in  the  people's  being 
arrested  for  disturbing  the  peace. 

The  third  night  nineteen  received  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Down  they  went  right  and 
left,  between  the  seats,  in  the  aisles,  in  front  of 
the  chancel  rail,  up  on  the  platform.  Oh  Glory ! 

One  night,  while  praying  with  a  young  lady  who 
was  receiving  the  baptism,  I  happened  to  catch 
the  minister's  eye  as  he  was  watching  and  beck- 
oned him  to  come  where  he  could  really  see  and 
hear.  He  kneeled  beside  the  young  lady  whom  he 
knew  well  as  a  devoted  Christian  worker,  ancT 
soon  saw  her  face  suffused  with  heavenly  glory 

124 


REVIVAL    FIRES    FALL 

as  she  was  filled  with  the  Spirit  and  broke  out 
speaking  with  other  tongues  and  praising  the 
Lord.  As  he  watched  and  listened  a  wistful  look 
came  over  the  brother's  face  and  without  a  word 
he  went  round  to  his  pulpit  again  and  kneeling 
down  with  closed  eyes,  lifted  his  hands  and  began 
to  pray. 

"Oh  Lord,  fill  me.  Oh  Lord,  fill  me."  Over  and 
over  he  prayed  this  simple  prayer  in  earnestness 
and  humility  before  the  Lord.  The  Spirit  kept  im- 
pressing me  to  go  and  pray  for  him.  At  first  I 
hesitated,  feeling  my  un worthiness,  but  at  last  I 
went  and  kneeled  behind  him  and  began  to  pray 
as  simply  as  he: 

"Lord,  fill  him." 

"Lord,  fill  me,"  he  would  cry. 

"Lord,  fill  him,"  was  the  prayer  that  filled  my 
soul. 

I  do  not  know  how  long  we  kept  on  praying 
thus,  but  I  do  know  that  when  I  opened  my  eyes 
it  seemed  almost  too  good  to  be  true.  The  min- 
ister was  swaying  from  side  to  side,  and  soon  fell 
backwards  under  the  power  and  rolled  off  the  little 
step  and  lay  under  the  glorious  power  of  the 
Lord,  just  inside  the  chancel  rail. 

Someone  spoke  to  his  wife,  who  had  been  sitting 
in  the  audience,  and  said:  , 

"Oh,  there  goes  William !" 

This  was  too  much  and  with  one  bound  she  was 
in  the  aisle  and  ran  to  the  front  sobbing  implor- 
ingly : 

"Oh,  Will,  Will,  speak  to  me.  Speak  to  me." 

Kneeling  beside  her  I  was  praying  with  all  my 
might  that  the  Lord  should  baptize  this  dear  Pas- 
tor as  it  would  mean  so  much  to  the  entire  church 
and  in  fact  the  whole  town.  Fearful  lest  she  should 
disturb  him,  I  said: 

"Oh  my  dear,  you  wouldn't  disturb  him  while 
he  is  under  the  power,  for  the  world,  would  you?" 

125 


THIS  IS  THAT1 

"Oh,  but  he's  dying.  He's  dying!'7  she  wailed. 
"I  know  he's  going  to  die!" 

"Oh  no,  he  is  not  dying/'  I  hastily  explained. 
"This  is  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  dear.  He  is 
safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus  and  if  you  watch  a  few 
minutes  you  will  see  him  receive  the  Holy  Spirit, 
I  am  sure." 

"Oh,  but  I  know  he  is  dying!  He  had  a  vision 
once  before  and  he  almost  died  then.  Will,  Will, 
speak  to  me,"  she  implored. 

I  doubt  if  I  could  have  restrained  her  much 
longer,  but  just  at  that  tense  moment,  when  the 
congregation  were  gathered  round  in  breathless 
circles,  leaning  over  the  chancel  rail,  some  even 
standing  on  the  pews  to  see  over  the  other's 
shoulders,  Pastor  W.  K.  Bouton  was  filled  with 
the  blessed  Holy  Spirit  and  began  speaking  with 
other  tongues  in  a  clear,  plain  language  of  which 
the  Lord  gave  me  the  interpretation,  message 
after  message. 

People  fell  to  the  floor  here  and  there  through 
the  audience.  Strong  men  sobbed  like  babies,  and 
when  at  last  the  Pastor  rose  to  his  feet  he  walked 
up  and  down  the  platform,  and  said : 

"Oh,  friends,  I  have  to  preach!"  And  preach 
he  did,  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
telling  the  people  that  "This  is  That,"  command- 
ing them  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit,  to  get  oil 
in  their  lamps  and  prepare  for  the  coming  of  the 
Lord. 

In  the  two  weeks  that  followed  practically  the 
entire  congregation  from  pulpit  to  the  door,  be- 
sides members  who  came  in  from  other  churches, 
were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  spoke  in 
other  tongues. 

All  the  trustees  except  one  were  swept  through 
to  the  baptism.  This  one  held  aloof  for  some  time, 
saying : 

126 


REVIVAL   FIRES   FALL 

"Ok,  I  don't  believe  that  all  this  noise  and  shout- 
ing and  falling  under  the  power  is  necessary.  I 
believe  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  not  in  this  shout- 
ing and  talking  in  tongues." 

"Well,  brother,  even  if  you  don't  understand 
it  all  now,  do  not  sit  back  here  in  the  seats.  Come 
up  to  the  altar.  You  feel  it  will  be  all  right  to 
seek  more  of  Jesus,  don't  you?" 

"Oh  yes,  I  will  seek  more  of  the  Lord,"  he  re- 
plied. "That's  all  right,"  and  he  took  his  place 
with  the  others  at  the  altar. 

It  was  only  a  few  minutes  later  while  praying — 
with  the  seekers,  and  they  were  going  down  one  by 
one  under  the  mighty  rushing  wind  of  the  heav- 
enly gales  that  were  sweeping  from  heaven,  that 
we  heard  a  great  shout,  and  something  struck  the 
floor  with  a  thump. 

Making  my  way  as  quickly  as  possible  to  the 
place  where  this  great  roaring  was  coming  from. 
I  found  its  source  of  origin  was  none  other  than" 
the  trustee  who  had  but  shortly  before  declared 
that  all  of  this  noise  and  shouting  was  unneces- 
sary. I  doubt  if  there  was  anyone  in  the  church 
who  made  as  much  noise  as  he.  He  shook  from 
head  to  foot ;  his  heels  beat  a  tattoo  upon  the  floor ; 
he  fairly  bellowed  and  roared  forth  in  other 
tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  him  utterance,  his  face 
filled  with  joy  and  glory. 

One  brother  who  had  thought  it  unnecessary 
to  speak  in  tongues  talked  for  hours  after  he  had 
been  filled,  and  coming  to  me  as  I  was  on  the  side- 
walk, just  leaving  for  home,  said,  as  he  shook  with 
the  power: 

"S-S-Sister  M-M-McPherson,  w-w-will  I  ever  b-be 
able  to  t-t-talk  in  E-English  again?"  and  away  he 
went  with  other  tongues  again.  Oh  hallelujah ! 
Sometimes  the  greatest  doubters  get  the  biggest 
baptisms  and  the  people  who  despise  noise  make 

127 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  most  noise  of  all  when  they  receive  this  old- 
time  power. 

Many  sick  bodies  were  healed.  A  young  woman .( 
daughter  of  a  Catholic  family,  was  carried  to  the 
church  in  a  taxicab,  and  came  hobbling  in  upon 
crutches,  crippled  with  rheumatism,  unable  to  lift 
her  hands  and  move  the  stiffened  joints  of  her 
shoulders. 

Here  is  her  testimony  as  it  was  written  for  pub- 
lication in  the  Bridal  Call,  our  monthly  magazine : 

"TESTIMONY  OF  HEALING 

"For  the  past  six  years  I  have  suffered  from  one 
of  the  worst  cases  of  rheumatism,  known  as  'Anth- 
ritis  Rheumatism/  but  praise  God!  He  has  healed 
me.  For  four  years  I  was  compelled  to  use 
crutches,  and  the.  stiffness  was  just  taking  a  grip 
on  each  joint  gradually.  Until  last  December  I 
could  neither  wash  nor  dress  myself,  and  when 
one  would  even  try  to  help  me  I  would  weep  and 
moan  with  pain.  My  jaw  became  so  stiff  I  could 
scarcely  get  a  morsel  of  food  into  my  mouth  un- 
less I  broke  it  into  very  small  pieces.  But  praise 
God  since  I  have  learned  to  say  'Glory  to  Jesus' 
every  particle  of  stiffness  has  left  my  jaws.  I 
have  never  again  used  the  crutches  since  dear  Sis- 
ter McPherson's  visit  to  the  Free  Gospel  Church  in 
Corona.  Her  prayers,  together  with  the  dear  ones 
at  that  church,  were  answered,  and  Glory  to  Jesus. 
I  have  received  my  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  fire. 

"I  am  gaining  in  strength  every  day.  Today  I 
can  wash,  iron,  sweep,  run  the  sewing  machine, 
and  on  days  when  mother  is  compelled  to  be  away 
from  home,  I  prepare  two  meals.  I  thank  God 
today  that  we  have  a  Pentecostal  church  in  Co- 
rona, and  also  that  God  has  placed  in  our  midst 
our  dear  pastor,  Brother  Bouton,  who  is  ever  will- 
ing at  all  times  to  serve  our  Master,  and  lead  his 

128 


REVIVAL   FIRES    FALL 

flock  in  the  'straight  and  narrow  path/  "  (Signed) 
Louise  Messnick. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  to  you  the  won- 
derful way  in  which  the  work  is  going  on  day  by 
day  in  this  church.  Brother  Bouton  has  written 
a  little  of  himself.  See  Chapter  2,  Part  II. 

Now  that  the  work  was  going  on  so  beautifully 
here,  the  Lord  told  us  the  time  had  come  to  begin 
our  journey  to  Florida.  We  announced  our  ex- 
pected departure  to  the  people.  We  did  not  tell 
anyone  that  we  were  asking  the  Lord  for  the 
means  wherewith  to  ship  our  tent  and  pay  our 
fares,  but  the  last  night  of  the  meeting  Brother 
Bouton  set  a  table  out  and  was  getting  ready  to 
ask  for  an  offering  for  us,  but  before  the  song 
which  they  were  then  singing  was  finished  or  he 
could  get  an  opportunity  to  ask  for  an  offering, 
the  people  started.  Up  the  aisles  they  came,  one 
after  another,  laying  their  offerings  upon  the  open 
Bible. 

The  Lord  sent  us,  through  these  dear  saints,  just 
the  amount  needed.  As  we  explained  to  them  that 
we  were  called  to  preach  among  the  poor  and  go 
to  those  who  had  not  yet  heard  the  message  of 
Pentecost,  they  promised  to  send  us  a  box  of 
clothing  to  give  to  the  poor,  and  ship  it  to  us  as 
soon  as  possible. 

Corona,  its  dear  saints,  and  our  own  precious 
experiences  while  there  will  never  be  forgotten. 


129 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

CALLED  TO  DWELL  IN  TENTS. 

FLORIDA  TENT  CAMPAIGN,  1917. 

"For  I  have  not  dwelt  in  an  house  .  .  .  but  have  gone 
from  tent  to  tent,  and  from  one  tabernacle  to  another" 
I  Chron.  17:5. 

OUR  first  Florida  tent  meeting  was  held  in 
Jacksonville,  the  gateway  to  the  lower 
south.    A  tract  of  land  centrally  located 
was  loaned  us  free  of  charge,  and  we  im- 
mediately set  to  work  erecting  tents,  buying  lumber, 
building  seats,  platform,  installing  lights  and  mak- 
ing the  preparations  necessary  for  each  tent  meet- 
ing.    Some  twenty-four  hours  before  the  meetings 
Avere  to  open  all  was  in  readiness,  the  last  bill  had 
been  paid,  and  the  piano  installed,  and  we  had  five 
cents  left  over.    How  happy  we  were  that  the  Lord 
had  known  just  how  much  to  give  us! 

While  we  were  yet  speaking  of  this  wonderful 
way  in  which  God  had  provided,  a  poor  old  col- 
ored lady  came  in,  begging  clothing,  money  or; 
food  for  herself  and  children.  We  told  her  we 
were  very  sorry  that  we  did  not  have  any  food  to 
give  her  (we  expected  to  fast  ourselves  until  the 
meetings  opened  and  offerings  came  in)  nor  any 
clothing  at  present,  but  we  gave  her  the  five  cents 
which  we  had  left. 

Soon  after  she  had  gone,  an  automobile  drove 
up  to  the  tent,  containing  workers  who  had  come 
from  Atlanta,  Ga.  They  were  hungry  and  wanted 
supper  right  away,  and  not  wishing  to  tell  them 
that  we  had  neither  money  nor  food,  I  slipped 

131 


THIS  IS  THAT 

away  in  my  tent,  and  kneeling  down,  told  the 
Lord  about  it,  saying: 

"Oh,  Lord,  if  you  want  us  to  fast  and  pray  until 
the  meeting  opens  tomorrow — Amen.  But  if  you 
want  me  to  have  something  to  set  before  these 
people,  please  supply  the  food." 

Rising,  I  heard  a  man's  big,  gruff  voice  on  the 
street  in  front  of  our  tent,  saying: 

"Whoa  tharM" 

Springing  from  the  wagon,  he  came  in  with  a 
cheery  smile,  carrying  a  box  in  his  arms,  marked 
"Prepaid,"  which  he  deposited  upon  the  ground, 
with  a — 

"Bight  smart  heavy  box  you  got  here.  Sign  on 
this  line,  please,"  and  he  departed. 

"Why,  here  is  the  box  of  clothes  which  the 
Corona  saints  promised  to  send  for  the  poor  peo- 
ple! Now  I  will  be  able  to  give  some  clothes  to 
that  dear  old  colored  lady  and  her  children," 
flashed  happily  through  my  mind,  causing  the 
thought  of  supper  to  be  forgotten  for  the  moment, 

Kunning  for  the  hammer,  we  pried  the  top  off 
the  box.  Sure  enough,  here  was  a  coat  and  here 
were  some  dresses.  The  coat  felt  very  heavy,  and 
an  experimental  shake  brought  rolling  out  of  its 
sleeves  and  pockets  cans  of  corn,  peas,  salmon  and 
a  box  of  crackers.'  Still  further  search  through 
the  box  revealed  rolled  oats,  sugar,  condensed 
milk  and  practically  everything  that  was  needed 
for  supper.  Oh  Glory  to  Jesus! 

This  is  just  one  sample  of  the  wonderful  way  in 
Avhich  the  Lord  provides  for  His  children  when 
they  go  forth  without  purse  or  scrip  taking  no 
thought  of  what  they  shall  eat  or  what  they  shall 
drink  or  what  they  shall  put  on.  He  had  sent  us 
our  supper  all  the  way  from  Corona,  L.  I.,  to 
Jacksonville,  Fla.,  and  had  it  there  right  on  the 
tick  of  the  clock,  for  the  bells  were  ringing  six. 
The  Lord  is  never  late.  Oh,  aren't  you  glad  He's 

132 


CALLED  TO  DWELL  IN  TENTS 

on  time?  He's  coming  on  time,  too,  dear  ones. 
Very  soon  the  floors  of  heaven  will  roll  back  and 
He  will  appear. 

The  two  Pentecostal  Missions  came  in  with  us. 
The  tent  meetings  opened  with  a  good  attendance, 
and  the  crowds  increased  day  after  day.  The 
altar  was,  time  after  time,  filled  with  seekers  for 
salvation,  the  baptism,  and  healing,  and  the  Lord 
did  not  turn  the  hungry  empty  away. 

Practically  every  state  in  the  Union  was  repre- 
sented by  the  tourists  who  gathered  to  this  place, 
and  many  wrere  amazed  as  they  saw  and  felt  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  heard  the  messages  in 
tongues  and  interpretation,  the  heavenly  music 
and  singing,  and  saw  the  saints  at  the  altar  fall- 
ing prostrate  under  the  power,  coining  through 
to  the  baptism  and  speaking  in  languages  they 
had  never  learned  in  their  lives. 

One  brother  spoke  in  Hebrew  and  a  Hebrew 
scholar  who  was  present,  heard  and  understood. 
Hallelujah! 

Two  young  men  were  healed,  one  of  a  broken 
arm,  broken  at  three  places,  and  dislocated  at  the 
wrist;  the  other  of  a  broken  hand.  Both  removed 
the  plaster  and  the  splints  before  the  audience, 
convincing  everyone  that  they  were  made  every 
whit  whole.  One  sister  was  healed  instantly  of 
cancer. 

Note. — As  it  would  be  difficult  to  write  from  memory  of 
the  many  eventful  meetings  which  took  place,  1917  and  1918, 
we  have  selected  paragraphs  from  reports  from  Pentecostal 
papers. 

CAMP  MEETING  AT  TAMPA,  1917. 

Glory  to  Jesus !  Glory !  Glory !  It  seems  you 
must  almost  hear  us  shouting  and  praising  the 
Lord  away  up  north.  What  a  Avonderful  Saviour 
we  have!  He  has  taken  the  foolish  to  confound 
the  wise,  and  the  weak  to  put  the  strong  to  flight. 
He  is  laying  bare  His  mighty  arm.  He  is  separat- 

133 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ing  His  people,  yea,  He  is  calling  out  a  people 
from  a  people.  Bless  His  name! 

The  Lord  is  blessing  in  Tampa.  Meetings  have 
increased  in  number  and  power  steadily.  Last 
night  the  tent  was  packed  to  the  farthest  corner, 
many  standing  and  more  turned  away. 

This  has  been  a  gathering  under  unique  circum- 
stances with  this  country  standing  under  the  dark 
clouds  of  trouble,  on  the  brink  of  war.  Tourists 
have  heard  for  the  first  time  the  soon  coming  of 
Jesus  and  of  the  latter  rain  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit.  With  joy  many  have  received  the  message 
and  been  baptized,  declaring  that  they  will  return 
to  their  towns  and  cities  and  proclaim  the  truth. 
An  entire  family  from  Minneapolis  received  the 
baptism  the  same  night. 

Great  amazement  fills  the  audience  as  the  power 
of  God  falls.  Many  have  been  slain  under  the 
power  and  began  to  speak  in  tongues,  prophecy 
and  interpretation. 

One  lady  did  not  have  time  to  get  to  the  altar. 
The  power  fell  on  her  as  she  stood  to  her  feet, 
and  before  she  could  get  to  the  aisles  the  Lord  had 
baptized  her,  as  she  went.  The  first  sentence  was 
interpreted — "Jesus  is  coming  soon,  coming  soon. 
Get  ready." 

Sinners  cried  out  for  mercy,  and  came  to  the 
altar  without  urging.  Young  men  and  old  have 
taken  out  pipes,  cigarettes,  tobacco  and  playing 
cards,  left  them  behind  and  gone  away  with  shin- 
ing faces. 

A  brother — a  professing  Christian  and  church 
member  for  years — (without  salvation)  confessed 
his  sins  publicly  as  the  power  fell,  and  running 
to  the  altar  gave  up  his  beer,  tobacco,  and  many 
things.  He  was  so  filled  with  joy,  which,  though  he 
was  an  old  man,  he  had  never  before  experienced, 
that  he  danced  and  shouted  and  cried,  much  to 
the  amazement  of  his  neighbors,  for  he  lives  in  a 

134 


CALLED  TO  DWELL  IN  TENTS 

beautiful  home  right  across  from  the  tent.  This 
is  a  wonderful  opportunity  to  work.  Just  on  the 
eve  of  Jesus'  return  to  earth,  this  whole  country 
is  waiting  with  bated  breath  for — they  know  not 
what,  and  we  hear  His  voice  beseeching  us — 
"Hasten!  Preach  the  Word,  for  Jesus  is  coming 
soon." 

The  Lord  has  given  us  a  Gospel  automobile,  with 
which  we  are  able  to  hold  eight  or  ten  meetings 
a  day,  distributing  thousands  of  tracts  and  hand 
bills,  and  carrying  big  display  signs  of  the  tent 
meetings. 

PLEASANT  GROVE   CAMP   DURANT 

Durant  is  twenty  miles  from  Tampa,  and  many 
of  the  people  here  are  very  poor.  Some  can  not 
even  read  or  write,  but  how  hungry  they  are  for 
God !  Yesterday  the  ground  was  thick  with  teams, 
wagons  and  automobiles  of  those  who  had  driven 
here  from  a  radius  of  thirty  miles  around.  The 
Lord  is  saving  and  baptizing  souls  and  healing  the 
sick.  There  are  messages  in  tongues  and  interpre- 
tation. It  is  a  wonderful  sight  to  see. people  crowd 
to  the  front  during  altar  service,  standing  on  tip- 
toe on  the  benches  to  see  the  strange  sight,  men 
and  women,  slain  under  the  mighty  power  of  God, 
speaking  in  tongues  as  they  are  filled  with  the 
Spirit. 

ST.  PETERSBURG 

Just  a  shout  of  victory  from  St.  Petersburg, 
Fla.,  this  wicked  city  where  Pentecost  has  never 
been  preached. 

A  great  celebration  was  on  when  our  meetings 
opened.  People  play  cards  and  gamble  on  tables 
by  the  sidewalk;  the  streets  beside  the  park  and 
city  hall  were  roped  off  at  night  for  dancing,  and 
as  the  band  played  the  people  danced  in  masks 
and  fancy  costumes  on  the  public  streets. 

135 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Our  snow-white  tent,  though  comfortably  sit- 
uated, and  decorated  with  palms  and  flowers  to 
make  it  attractive,  was  but  a  'poor  inducement  for 
such  a  worldly  throng.  Standing  on  the  street, 
giving  out  hand  bills  and  tracts,  I  looked  at  the 
long  lines  of  automobiles  and  conveyances  stream- 
ing by  in  the  parades.  This  week  was  something  in 
the  nature  of  a  Mardi-Gras  and  the  cars  were 
decorated  to  represent  the  state  or  business  of  the 
owner. 

Suddenly  the  Lord  spoke  to  me  and  said:  "Dec- 
orate your  car  and  join  the  parade  !"  At  first  this 
looked  impossible.  Surely  the  decorations  must 
cost  an  enormous  sum  of  money.  But  the  Lord 
showed  me  how  it  could  be  done.  We  built  a 
wooden  frame  just  the  shape  of  a  tent;  then  taking 
a  white  sheet  (which  was  one  of  the  luxuries  of 
our  camp  life)  we  made  of  it  a  miniature  tent, 
stretching  it  over  said  frame,  using  cord  for  guy 
ropes,  and  large  nails  for  stakes.  On  one  side  of 
the  miniature  tent  we  painted  the  words : 

" Jesus  is  coming  soon;"  on  the  other  side— 

" Jesus  saves;"  on  another  side— 

"I  am  going  to  the  Pentecostal  Camp  meeting. 
Are  you?" 

Putting  down  the  top  of  the  Gospel  auto,  the 
miniature  tent,  some  seven  feet  long,  five  feet  wide, 
was  lifted  up  and  set  over  the  car  so  as  just  to 
leave  room  for  the  driver.  The-  car  was  also  dec- 
orated with  palms  and  Avild  flowers,  which  we 
gathered  by  the  way,  tied  with  tissue  streamers. 

Concealing  a  baby  organ  under  the  tent,  I  sat 
beneath  it  out  of  sight  of  the  crowd,  and  the  Lord 
shut  the  policeman's  eyes  so  that  we  could  slip 
into  the  grand  parade  of  cars  and  get  the  full 
length  of  Main  street  with  our  advertisement.  We 
must  get  an  audience  to  our  tent  meeting,  even 
if  we  had  to  sail  forth  with  flying  colors  into  the 

136 


CALLED  TO  DWELL  IN  TENTS 

territory  of  the  enemy  to  advertise  our  soul-sav- 
ing business. 

Early  next  morning  we  got  in  line  with  the  other 
cars.  The  brass  bands  were  going  by;  the  liqupr 
man  advertised  his  business,  the  telephone,  the 
wheat  man  and  the  florist;  the  butcher,  the  baker, 
the  tourists  representing  their  different  states — 
all  were  there,  having  entered  and  listed  their  cars. 
When  it  came  our  turn  to  slip  in,  the  policeman's 
back  was  turned,  and  he  was  motioning  behind  his 
back  for  us  to  come  on,  and  holding  back  tratfic 
from  the  other  direction  with  his  hand,  so  in  we 
went.  We  were  far  enough  behind  the  bands  so 
that  our  little  baby  organ  and  chimes  could  be 
heard  distinctly,  playing — 

"Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea, 

But  that  Thy  blood,  was  shed  for  me." 
and  other  familiar  hymns  such  as— 
"Oh  get  ready,  Oh  get  ready,   for  the  judgment 
day." 

"For  you  I  am  praying, 
I'm  praying  for  you." 

Thousands  of  people  lined  either  side  of  the  long 
street,  leaning  out  of  their  windows,  standing  on 
the  roofs — and  after  the  first  astonished  stare  the 
people  began  to  laugh  and  clap  their  hands  and 
cheer,  and  that  night  the  tent  was  packed,  and  we 
had  no  more  trouble  getting  crowds.  Sinners  were 
saved,  believers  baptized.  The  Salvation  Army 
closed  their  doors  and  came  in  to  work  with  us, 
bringing  their  drum  and  musical  instruments. 

*Note:  DOES  THE  WORK  STAND? — Though  two 
years  have  passed  since  this  meeting,  letters  are 
still  coming  from  Jacksonville,  Tampa  and  St. 
Petersburg,  from  those  who  were  saved  and  bap- 
tized during  these  meetings,  stating  that  they  are 
standing  true  to  this  day  and  going  deeper  with 
the  Lord. 

137 


THIS  IS  THAT 

SAVANNAH,    GA. 

This  great  city,  with  its  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  living  souls,  that  has  never  had  a  Pentecosta| 
mission  within  its  borders,  nor  heard  the  message 
of  the  latter  rain,  has  been  laid  heavily  upon  our 
hearts. 

After  shipping  our  tabernacle,  tents,  and 
camping  outfit  on  the  railroad,  laying  hands  upon 
it  and  asking  the  Lord  to  send  it  right  straight 
through  (though  freight  had  been  paralyzed  by 
war  shipments)  we  ourselves  traveled  in  the  Gos- 
pel auto,  carrying  workers  and  Gospel  literature. 
The  tent  arrived  almost  as  soon  as  ourselves.  The 
Lord  led  us  right  to  a  spot  of  land  which  was 
loaned  to  us  free  of  charge,  and  the  first  night  sev- 
eral came  forward  for  salvation.  The  second  night 
one  of  those  who  had  been  saved  the  first  night 
received  the  baptism.  Never  have  we  seen  a  more 
hungry,  intensely  earnest  people  than  these,  and  al- 
though we  are  unable  to  stay,  we  are  opening  a 
mission,  leaving  our  benches  and  fixtures  here  with 
Sister  Swift  of  Durant,  Fla.,  whom  we  brought 
with  us  in  the  car  as  a  worker,  and  who,  with  her 
husband,  will  care  for  the  work. 

PREACHING  IN  THE  COTTON  FIELDS. 

From  Savannah,  Ga.,  we  traveled  by  Gospel 
auto  through  South  and  North  Carolina,  Ken- 
tucky, Maryland  and  New  Jersey,  preaching  as  we 
went,  and  giving  out  thousands  of  tracts.  We  find 
this  a  comparatively  inexpensive  way  of  reach- 
ing the  people,  getting  to  people  who  never  could 
be  reached  any  other  way. 

The  poor  people  in  the  cotton  and  tobacco  field 
districts,  far  from  Pentecostal  Missions,  in  this 
way  receive  the  literature  and  testimony. 

At  night  we  run  our  car  into  some  quiet  field  or 
forest,  beside  a  stream  of  water,  pitch  our  tent, 
build  our  camp  fire,  and  put  up  our  camping  cots 

138 


CALLED  TO  DWELL  IN  TENTS 

for  the  night;  up  and  about  our  Father's  business 
again  with  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

We  had  but  eighteen  dollars  on  which  to  make 
the  trip  from  Savannah  to  Long  Branch,  N.  J., 
the  scene  of  the  next  camp  meeting,  but  the  Lord 
made  either  the  eighteen  dollars  or  the  gasoline  to 
-stretch,  for  we  still  had  money  when  we  arrived  at 
our  destination. 


139 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BRIDAL  CALL 

"Write  the  vision,  and  make  it  plain  .  .  .  that  he  may 
run  that  readeth  it."  Hab.  2:2. 

WHILE  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  the  first  editions 
of  the  Bridal  Call,  our  monthly  maga- 
zine, were  printed.  The  Lord  had  been 
laying  it  upon  my  heart  to  edit  such  a 
paper,  and  gave  me,  Himself,  the  name — "THE 
BRIDAL  CALL,"  and  the  cover  design,  the  Lord 
appearing  in  the  clouds,  and  the  angels  with  their 
trumpets.  Over  and  over  the  Lord  spoke  to  me— 

"Write  the  vision  and  make  it  plain,  that  he 
may  run  who  readeth  it."  Hab.  2  :2. 

At  first  I  hesitated,  saying: 

"There  are  so  many  Pentecostal  papers,  and 
more  capable  writers  who  are  able  to  give  their 
entire  time  and  thought  to  the  matter.  It  would 
be  impossible  for  me,  having  no  office,  nor  abid- 
ing city,  holding  many  meetings,  traveling  in  the 
Gospel  car,  mothering  the  children,  and  many 
other  things,  to  write  or  take  the  burden  of  a 
paper."  The  Lord  replied : 

"With  me,  nothing  is  impossible."  He  showed 
me  His  exact  plan  for  the  Bridal  Call;  that  its, 
message  was  not  to  be  one  of  controversy,  fighting, 
great  wisdom  or  eloquence,  but  simply  what  its 
name  implied — a  call  to  the  bride  to  prepare  for 
her  heavenly  Bridegroom.  So  whatever  reports, 
testimonies  or  other  matter  may  be  in  the  paper, 
we  endeavor  to  have  one  article  making  plain  the 
way  of  salvation,  one  on  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 

141 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Ghost,  and  one  on  the  coming  of  the  Lord  and  the 
preparation  to  meet  Him. 

So  plainly  the  Lord  spoke,  giving  me  articles  to 
write,  in  such  bursts  of  revelation,  that  the  tears 
streamed  down  my  face,  while  my  fingers  flew 
over  the  typewriter  keys. 

During  our  camp  meeting  in  Savannah,  the  Lord 
commissioned  our  consecrated  Brother,  F.  A.  Hess 
(without  any  word  from  us),  to  undertake  the 
printing  for  several  months,  charging  only  for  the 
paper,  of  which  we  addressed,  mailed  and  sent  out 
freely  from  the  first  issue,  two  thousand  copies. 
Later  the  paper  was  printed  in  Framinghani, 
Mass. 

Forging  ahead  into  new  fields,  and  having  some- 
times thousands  of  people  in  our  audiences,  we 
have  secured  thousands  of  new  names  in  outlying 
districts  never  before  reached  by  Pentecostal  lit- 
erature. 

For  two  years  the  Bridal  Call  has  been  pub- 
lished regularly.  Letters  come  almost  daily,  tell- 
ing of  people  who  have  been  blessed,  saved,  bap- 
tized, healed,  and  are  on  their  way  rejoicing, 
through  the  humble  little  labor  of  love — the 
Bridal  Call.  It  has  meant  many  hours  of  work, 
often  late  into  the  night,  but  these  letters  more 
than  repay  all  the  effort  that  has  been  made. 

The  Lord  is  now  opening  for  us  The  Bridal  Call 
Publishing  House,  centrally  located  at  125  South 
Spring  Street,  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  and  has  com- 
missioned a  brother  here  to  print  it,  so  that  now 
we  will  be  able  to  send  the  paper  promptly  on  a 
given  date.  The  circulation  is  increasing  marvel- 
ously.  Time  is  short  now,  and  the  last  invitation  to 
the  Marriage  of  the  Lamb  must  go  forth  un- 
hindered and  multiplied. 

We  would  like  our  readers  to  send  rolls 
monthly  to  your  friends,  that  they  may  hear  the 
call  and  prepare  to  meet  the  Lord.  At  present  we 

142 


THE  BRIDAL  CALL 

are  sending,  monthly,  as  the  Lord  supplies  the 
means,  thousands  of  papers,  tracts  and  booklets  to 
prisons,  homes,  hospitals  and  struggling,  out-of- 
the-way  missions. 

A  letter  from  the  chaplain  of  one  of  our  largest 
penitentiaries,  inviting  us  to  send  more  of  such 
literature,  states  that  he  does  not  want  Christian 
Science  or  New  Thought,  but  the  old-fashioned 
Gospel,  to  help  sinful  men  and  women  back  to 
God.  Please  pray  with  us  that  God  will  make  the 
Bridal  Call  a  ladder  whereon  many  will  climb  to 
life,  hope  and  heaven.  The  letters  which  we  re- 
ceive from  the  prisoners  are  very  pitiful. 

Thank  God!  How  wonderful  to  be  deemed 
worthy  of  such  a  privilege,  such  an  opportunity. 
Such  work  should  not  be  stinted  for  means. 
Many  doors  are  open  where  we  could  send  out 
thousands.  The  devil's  literature  goes  forth  with- 
out stint,  and  we  believe  that  the  Lord  will  provide 
means  whereby  this  Bridal  Call  may  be  sent-  to 
all  the  hungry  ones  whom  He  lays  upon  our 
hearts.  All  interested  please  write  the  "Editor" 
personally. 


143 


CHAPTER  XV. 
EASTERN   SUMMER  TENT  CAMPAIGN,  1917 

CALL    TO    LONG    BRANCH,    N.    J. 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me;  because  the 
Lord  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek; 
He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  brokenhearted,  to  proclaim 
liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them 
that  are  bound;  • 

To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  day 
of  vengeance  of  our  Lord;  to  comfort  all  that  mourn; 

To  give  unto  them  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for 
mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness." 
Isa.  61:1,  2,  3. 

THE  Lord  witnessed  to  me  concerning  our  go- 
ing to  Long  Branch  while  in  Savannah,  Ga., 
I  was  waiting  on  the  Lord  for  direct  lead- 
ings.   A  number  of  letters,  each  containing 
a  call  to  some  particular  city,  wrere  spread  before  me 
as  I  prayed. 

"Oh,  Lord,  lead  me  just  as  You  would  have  me. 
Do  not  let  us  get  one  step  out  of  Your  will  in  any 
way,  or  the  place  that  You  would  have  us  to  be. 
This  call  to  Long  Branch,  N.  J.,  seems  to  witness 
in  my  soul,  speak  to  me,  Lord,  in  some  way,  if 
this  is  of  You.  If  not,  take  it  away  from  me. 
How  I  wish  that  I  could  find  out  more  about  the 
place,  its  population,  etc." 

As  I  spoke,  a  New  York  paper  was  picked  up 
by  a  little  gust  of  wind  and  blown  across  the  tent. 
Stooping  over,  still  praying  for  the  Lord  to  direct 
me  and  speak  regarding  Long  Branch,  N.  J.,  I 
absent-mindedly  picked  up  the  paper  and  smoothed 
it  out  upon  my  lap,  with  amazement  when,  in 
large  letters,  printed  half  way  across  the  paper, 
this  sign  met  my  gaze — "DON'T  FAIL  TO  GO  TO 
LONG  BRANCH,  N.  J." 

145 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Beneath  this  sign  was  given  a  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  the  place,  its  accommodation,  population, 
etc.,  and  it  wound  up,  with  glaring  letters — 
"WKITE  AT  ONCE  TO  LONG  BRANCH,  N.  J., 
THAT  YOU  WILL  BE  THERE." 

How  wonderful  that  this  New  York  paper 
should  be  away  down  here  in  Savannah,  Ga., 
brought  into  the  tent  and  right  to  my  feet,  open 
at  this  identical  place!  The  Lord  put  the  power 
upon  me  and  witnessed  that  this  was  no  mere  acci- 
dent, but  truly  another  sign  that  He  was  leading. 

(Condensed  clippings  and  notes  from  reports.) 

Showers  of  blessing  are  falling  in  Long  Branch, 
where  a  tiny  band,  seven  in  number,  have  been 
praying  for  revival  and  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit 
for  years.  Brother  and  Sister  W.  Martin  had 
grounds  ready,  soon  we  had  the  tent  erected  and 
filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 

Workers  and  seekers  have  gathered  from  other 
towns  and  cities,  crowds  increasing  daily — Sundays 
people  are  turned  away,  unable  to  gain  admis- 
sion. Many  have  received  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  scores  have  come  to  the  altar  for 
salvation,  and  God  is  meeting  one  and  all.  A  num- 
ber have  come  out  of  the  churches  and  received 
the  baptism,  and  are  going  on  in  a  precious  way 
with  the  Lord.  We  go  out  daily  with  the  Gospel 
car,  upon  which  is  painted  in  large  letters  on  one 
side — "Jesus  is  coming  soon ;"  on  the  other  "Where 
will  you  spend  eternity?"  Twenty  and  thirty  miles 
of  territory  is  covered  daily  with  literature,  street 
meetings  and  announcements. 

During  water  baptism  service  by  the  ocean,  the 
power  of  the  Lord  fell  and  those  being  baptized 
leaped,  danced  and  shouted  in  the  water,  while 
spectators  wept  and  praised  the  Lord  on  the 
shore. 

146 


EASTERN  SUMMER  TENT  CAMPAIGN,  1917 

Many  of  the  young  people  have  had  marvelous 
and  inspiring  visions,  some  seeing  our  Saviour 
hanging  on  the  Cross  for  our  sins;  others  saw  our 
Lord  descending  in  the  clouds  to  catch  away  His 
waiting  people. 

There  have  been  many  remarkable  instances  of 
healing,  one  of  which  we  relate :  A  preacher  came 
on  crutches  not  believing  that  the  Lord  could 
heal  as  in  days  of  old,  and  in  answer  to  prayer 
God  healed  him  instantly,  in  the  middle  of  the 
meeting  and  he  ran  about  the  tent,  dancing,  with- 
out his  crutches  and  shouting:  "Why,  the  Lord 
still  heals!  He  heals  as  in  days  of  old!" 

His  wife  was  so  overjoyed  she  ran  up  and  down 
the  aisles  and  right  up  on  the  platform,  shaking 
my  hand  and  making  me  dance  over  the  platform 
with  her  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  impossible  to 
go  on  with  the  meeting  for  a  time  because  of  the 
shouting  of  the  people. 

CAMP  MEETING,  HYDE  PARK,  BOSTON,  MASS. 

It  seemed  impossible  to  ship  our  tents  from  New 
Jersey  to  Boston,  Mass.,  as  the  embargo  was  on. 
The  Lord  opened  the  way  for  us,  to  get  a  truck; 
and  equipment  was  rushed  through  and  put  up  on 
time.  Praise  God! 

It  was  impossible  to  seat  the  throngs  of  people, 
The  Pentecostal  saints  came  filled  with  the  glory 
and  fire  of  God.  Their  testimonies  and  ringing 
songs  of  praises  brought  the  entire  neighborhood 
on  the  run  to  ask:  "What  meaneth  this?"  It  was 
a  hopeless  task  to  seat  the  people,  though  seats 
were  loaned  us  by  the  church  and  every  available 
inch  of  space  packed.  Thousands  nightly  fringed 
the  edge  of  the  tent,  standing  clear  out  into  the 
road  as  far  and  farther  than  it  was  possible  for 
them  to  catch  a  word  of  the  discourse. 

At  first  the  Catholic  element  did  their  best  to 
disturb  and  break  up  the  meeting,  but  praise  the 
Lord,  He  gave  us  victory. 

147 


THIS  IS  THAT 

A  policeman  who  roomed  near  the  tent  com- 
plained to  his  chief  that  he  could  not  sleep  for  the 
noise  of  the  people  praying  and  shouting  at  all 
hours  of  the  night,  and  the  brethren  were  asked 
to  appear  at  the  station.  They  went  in  the  Gos- 
pel car,  leaving  it  in  front  of  the  door  as  they 
entered.  The  policeman  who  had  made  the  com- 
plaint was  not  in,  and  the  chief  told  them  to  sit 
down  and  wait  for  his  return.  Pacing  up  and 
down  the  floor,  he  at  last  went  to  the  window,  and 
looking  out  upon  the  car,  with  its  lettered  signs, 
drew  back  with  a  start,  and  said: 

"Jesus  is  coming  soon!  Coming  soon?  Well, 
maybe  so.  I  don't  know." 

"Are  you  prepared  to  meet  Him  if  He  should 
come?"  they  inquired. 

"Have  you  been  born  again?  Do  you  know  that 
your  sins  are  Avashed  away,  that  you  have  passed 
from  death  unto  life?" 

"No,  no,  I  can  not  say  that  I  do."  They  further 
invited  him  to  give  his  heart  to  Jesus,  but  this  he 
refused  to  do,  giving  several  reasons  why  he  could 
not  do  so  at  this  time.  (This  was  the  chief  who 
refused  us  proper  police  protection  at  our  tent 
meeting. ) 

Going  over  to  the  window  several  times,  he  read 
aloud,  in  a  thoughtful  voice :  " ' Jesus  is  coming 
soon.7  Well,  well,  maybe  He  is."  And  indeed  He 
came  very  soon  for  this  man.  That  night,  the  dis- 
turbing element,  seeing  no  restraining  hand  laid 
upon  them,  were  more  disorderly  than  ever  about 
the  tent. 

The  next  day  the  chief  was  stricken  with  heart 
failure  at  his  desk  and  died  in  a  few  hours. 

The  news  went  round  that  entire  section  of  the 
town  that  he  had  refused  protection  to  the  Gospel 
meetings  then  being  conducted.  Thereafter  we 
had  three  men  stationed  by  the  tent  at  every  meet- 
ing and  perfect  order. 

148 


EASTERN  SUMMER  TENT  CAMPAIGN,  1917 

Scores  have  come  seeking  salvation;  the  slain  of 
the  Lord  are  many,  and  deep  conviction  resting 
upon  the  people. 

One  young  lady,  a  school  teacher,  came  to  mock, 
said  she  would  never  be  one  of  those  people,  sud- 
denly fell  to  her  knees,  crying  for  salvation,  was 
wonderfully  saved,  and  the  next  night  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Young  men  who  ridiculed,  were  suddenly 
stricken  with  awful  conviction  while  a  message 
was  being  given  in  tongues  and  interpretation.  The 
face  of  the  young  man  who  led  the  way  to  the, 
altar  turned  white,  his  knees  and  hands  trembled 
as  he  cried :  "Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner." 
His  friends  followed  him.  They  were  all  wonder- 
fully saved  and  are  now  seeking  the  baptism. 

A  little  girl  with  a  paralyzed  leg  and  a  stiff 
knee  was  brought  by  her  parents,  for  healing.  One 
leg  was  two  inches  shorter  than  the  other.  The 
Lord  instantly  healed  her  and  she  was  able  to 
bend  her  knee  and  the  limb  was  'lengthened  and 
became  as  the  other  one. 

Sunday  morning  the  power  fell  so  no  one  could 
preach,  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself  spoke  in  prophecy 
through  Sister  McPherson.  Then  she  played  the 
piano  in  the  Spirit,  and  all  over  the  tabernacle 
pealed  forth  the  heavenly  anthem. 

HUNTINGTON,  L.  I.,  CAMP  MEETINGS. 

The  camp  grounds  were  a  beautiful  sight,  with 
the  many  white  tents  nestled  under  the  tall  locust 
trees. 

The  meeting  lasted  ten  days,  souls  were  saved, 
backsliders  reclaimed,  sick  healed,  twenty-six  re- 
ceived the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  One  girl 
who  came  to  the  altar  to  seek  her  baptism,  wore  a 
heavy  steel  truss  around  her  waist  and  running 
down  both  sides  of  her  limb,  it  fastened  at  the 
bottom  of  a  heavy  shoe  and  strapped  down  her 
withered,  helpless  limb.  The  Lord  baptized  her  in 

149 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  Holy  Ghost  and  healed  her  limb.  She  removed 
the  truss,  brace  and  shoe,  stood  up,  and  walked  up 
and  down,  perfectly  strong  and  without  pain.  Her 
mother  wept  and  saints  shouted.  Surely  we  have 
a  right  to  shout  with  such  a  wonderful  Jesus. 

Among  the  number  who  came  to  the  camp  meet- 
ing from  out  of  town  was  a  lady,  educated,  refined, 
a  great  believer  in  holiness.  She  brought  with  her 
her  little  son  of  about  eleven  years.  She  had 
come  to  study  Pentecost,  and  analyze  this  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  the  Bible  evi- 
dence, speaking  in  tongues,  its  effects,  mani- 
festations, etc.  She  was  always  asking  ques- 
tions and  moving  from  one  to  the  other  as 
they  lay  under  the  power,  coming  through  to 
the  baptism.  Sometimes  her  face  would  soften 
and  then  again  the  look  of  a  doubting  Thomas 
would  come  into  her  eyes  and  she  would  want  to 
handle  and  see. 

One  afternoon  her  son,  who,  without  a  question, 
was  seeking  the  baptism,  fell  under  the  power, 
his  face,  which  was  always  bright,  suddenly  took 
on  the  radiance  of  heaven  and  his  whole  being 
seemed  to  be  transformed,  as  he  broke  out  singing 
in  other  languages,  clear  and  beautiful,  in  poetry, 
the  Lord  giving  me  the  interpretation  of  the  song. 

When  the  mother  turned  around  from  her  in- 
vestigating and  seeking  for  information,  and  saw 
her  son,  who  in  his  childlike  faith  had  received 
that  which  she  was  questioning,  it  melted  her 
heart  and  she  herself  fell  under  the  power  and 
came  through  speaking  in  tongues. 

One  night,  during  a  severe  storm,  when  the 
lights  went  out  in  the  tent,  we  brought  the  Gospel 
automobile  up  to  the  edge  of  the  tent,  and  lifting 
the  side  curtains,  using  the  headlights  of  the  car 
for  illumination.  This  was  one  of  the  most  won- 
derful meetings  of  this  series.  The  Spirit  took 

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EASTERN  SUMMER  TENT  CAMPAIGN,  1917 

control  in  such  a  way  that  preaching  was  impos- 
sible. 

Two  ladies  came  from  a  Bible  training  School, 
one  who  had  been  a  Christian  worker  and  mis- 
sionary for  years,  was  broken  in  health,  and  though 
she  did  not  know  much  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  asked  to  be  prayed  for  for  healing,  during 
the  breakfast  hour  in  the  dining  tent. 

We  prayed  for  her  and  she  fell  off  her  seat  and 
lay  on  the  ground  amongst  the  twigs  and  leaves, 
with  the  ducks,  which  were  a  constant  source  of 
annoyance  to  the  cook,  quacking  about  her.  He 
does  humble  His  people!  No  matter  how  great  a 
worker  one  has  been,  everybody  must  get  down. 
Hallelujah ! 

In  a  few  minutes  the  dear  sister  had  received 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  was  shaking 
from  head  to  foot,  laughing  with  joy  and  talking 
in  tongues. 

The  last  Sunday  the  floor  was  covered  with 
those .  prostrated  under  the  power.  Many  mes- 
sages Avere  given  writh  interpretation. 

MONTWAIT,   MASS. 

Here  precious  saints  gathered  from  far  and  near 
and  met  in  blessed  liberty.  The  first  night  three 
received  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  and  sinners  re- 
ceived salvation. 

On  Sunday  nine  received  their  baptism,  some 
Avere  saved  and  many  healed.  A  dear  Methodist 
minister  and  his  wife  and  daughter  received  their 
baptism.  Thirty  or  more  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  the  ten  days'  meeting. 

WASHBURN,     MAINE,    CAMP. 

Since  writing  the  heading  of  this  report,  I  have 
been  sitting  here  before  my  typewriter  wondering 
where  and  how  to  begin.  It  was  all  so  wonderful, 
it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  describe,  but 

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THIS  IS  THAT 

longing  to  encourage  the  many  poor,  hungry  saints 
who  are  shut  away  from  the  meetings,  I  will  do 
my  best. 

The  Lord  was  with  us  from  the  beginning.  The 
first  few  days  some  fifty-four  received  the  baptism, 
and  the  number  increased  daily  until  within  two 
weeks  and  a  half  it  was  safe  to  say  over  a  hundred 
received.  Hardened  sinners  wept  their  way  to 
the  altar;  many  sat  and  trembled  from  head  to 
foot  under  conviction,  and  sinners  on  their  way 
to  the  altar,  fell  in  the  aisles,  often  it  was  impos- 
sible to  preach,  the  Holy  Spirit  conducted  the 
meeting;  messages  in  tongues  and  interpretation 
came  forth  from  many  empty  vessels,  waves  of 
glory  and  marvelous  singing  swept  over  the  audi- 
ence. 

A    DRAMA    ENACTED    UNDER    POWER    OF    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

One  night  a  drama  was  all  worked  out  in  the 
Spirit,  showing  forth  the  ten  Virgins,  going  first 
with  white  robes  to  meet  the  Bridegroom.  They 
said  : 

"He  delayeth  His  coming;  let  us  rest." 

At  first  some  argued  that  all  should  keep  awake, 
for  He  that  would  come,  would  come  quickly;  but 
finally  all  were  asleep. 

Suddenly  a  loud  cry — 

"Behold !  The  Bridegroom  conieth !  Go  ye  out  to 
meet  Him !"  Then  all  the  virgins  opened  their  eyes, 
and  examined  their  lamps  in  alarm.  The  five  sis- 
ters enacting  the  part  of  the  wise  virgins,  danced 
for  joy  because  of  the  oil,  but  the  foolish  begged 
the  wise  to  share  their  oil  with  them.  The  wise 
said  it  was  impossible,  and  sent  the  foolish  to  buy 
oil  of  Him  who  had  to  sell. 

Then  followed  a  scene  where  the  foolish  knocked 
at  an  imaginary  door  and  haggled  long  over  the 
price  they  would  have  to  pay  for  the  oil;  they 
wanted  to  pay  only  a  price  which  would  not  ineon- 

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EASTERN  SUMMER  TENT  CAMPAIGN,  1917 

venience  them  or  cost  a  sacrifice,  but  the  man  who 
sold  asked  for  all  to  give  one  hundred  per  cent  sac- 
rifice before  they  could  obtain  oil.  At  last  the 
foolish  Avent  away,  only  to  find  that  the  wise  had 
been  taken  up  to  meet  the  Lord;  then  they  fell 
down  and  tore  their  hair  and  wept  aloud. 

This  was  followed  by  a  ringing,  warning  appeal 
to  all  to  make  full  surrender,  pay  the  price,  buy 
oil  now,  for  the  Bridegroom  is  at  the  door. 

This  Avas  only  one  of  the  many  wonderful  mes- 
sages and  dramas  worked  out  in  our  midst  which 
were  beyond  description.  On  Sundays  hundreds 
of  automobiles,  horses  and  carriages  filled  the 
fields,  and  it  was  impossible  to  seat  but  a  small 
part  of  the  people.  The  altar  was  full  of  sinners 
seeking  salvation,  and  Christians  receiving  the 
baptism.  Several  ministers  and  their  wives  re- 
ceived, also  many  church  members  and  workers, 
several  receiving  right  in  their  seats  during  service. 

The  fall  of  the  year  is  coming  and  campaign  in 
the  north  and  east  drawing  to  a  close.  The  farm- 
ers' wagons  are  busily  wending  their  way  between 
the  harvest  fields  and  the  barns,  as  they  gather 
the  results  of  their  summer's  labor.  They  mop 
their  hot,  perspiring  faces,  and  heave  tired  but 
happy  sighs. 

Many  a  time,  while  working  at  the  altar  hour 
after  hour,  sometimes  away  into  the  morning 
hours,  after  a  heavy  day,  we  have  sunk  down  upon 
a  seat  after  it  was  all  over  and  remembered  that 
the  Master  of  the  harvest  was  weary  for  us.  But 
oh,  the  joy  of  it !  Row  after  row  of  hungry  souls 
seeking  salvation,  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
divine  healing,  or  a.  closer  walk  with  God.  The 
floors  have  been  full  of  wheat — and  the  vats  over- 
flowed with  oil  and  wine.  The  Ark  has  been  in 
the  midst  and  we  delight  our  souls  in  the  Lord  as 
we  live  again  the  scenes  of  the  past  summer 
campaign. 

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CHAPTER  XVI. 

SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND 
GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

"Then  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  an  hart,  and  the  tongue 
of  the  dumb  sing:  for  in  the  wilderness  shall  waters  break 
out,  and  streams  in  the  desert."  Isa.  35:6. 

FROM  THE  NORTHERNMOST  TOWN  IN   MAINE  TO  THBl 
SOUTHERNMOST   CITY    IN    FLORIDA. 

THE  cars  were  filled  with  workers  as  we  left 
Washburn^  singing  and  praising  the  Lord  as 
we  journeyed,  through  the  country,  and  the 
brothers  shouting  through  the  megaphone, 
the  message  of  salvation  and  the  soon  coming  of  the 
Lord.     Much  attention  was  drawn  to  the  cars  by 
their  big  gold  letters  telling  of  Jesus'  soon  coming, 
and  asking  the  questions:    "Where  will  you  spend 
Eternity  ?"    And  as  we  pass  through  the  hundreds 
of  towns  and  villages  on  our  trips,  we  sing  or  testify, 
or  give  out  literature,  meeting  many  hungry  souls.     , 
We  traveled  all  the  day,  slept  by  the  wayside  at 
night  and  the  Lord  always  had  a  place  prepared. 
We  have  our  Gospel  Autos  so  arranged  that  we 
can  turn  the  front  seat  back  and  sleep  in  the  car, 
and  the  big  out  doors  is  our  home.     With  joy  we 
kneeled  by  the  running  board  at  night  to  pray  and 
thank  the  Father  for  this  glorious  opportunity  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  far  and  Avide  in  the  other- 
wise unattainable  places. 

Oh  that  you  could  see  the  hungry  faces  that 
gather  around  and  listen  to  the  Word  in  the 
South.  Frequently  men  step  out  from  the  crowd 
during  street  meeting,  and  kneel  weeping,  at  the 
running  board  of  the  car,  then  rise  to  testify  of 
a  determination  to  go  through  with  Jesus. 

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THIS  IS  THAT 

All  through  Virginia,  North  and  South  Caro- 
lina, and  Georgia,  we  visited  many  poor  homes, 
cotton  and  tobacco  fields,  etc.,  with  the  message 
of  love.  How  eager  the  poor  colored  people  were 
to  hear  the  Word  and  receive  the  papers!  In  this 
way  the  poor  have  the  gospel  preached  unto  them, 
and  those  who  could  never  hear  in  any  other  way, 
of  Jesus'  soon  coming.  Precious  souls  are  at 
stake,  no  time  to  be  lost — and  we  cry : — 

"Here  am  I.  Lord,  send  me."  Pray  that  we  may 
be  faithful,  unselfish,  humble,  and  quick — that 
we  may  never  lose  an  opportunity  of  preaching, 
instant  in  season  and  out  of  season,  the  soon 
coming  of  Jesus,  and  what  it  means  to  be  ready 
to  meet  Him.  We  want  to  lay  down  our  lives 
for  the  Master  as  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us.t 

"He  who  saveth  his  life  shall  lose  it,  but  he  that 
loseth  his  life  for  My  sake  shall  find  it" 

Sometimes,  while  sleeping  by  the  -wayside  or 
under  damp  tents,  the  enemy  whispers  of  rheuma- 
tism, etc.,  but  that  is  the  word  we  meet  him  with, 
and  he  disappears.  He  pictures  others  with  com- 
fortable homes  and  warm  beds,  and  points  in 
scorn  to  our  hard  canvas  cots,  writh  no  home  com- 
forts, points  to  our  smoky  camp  fire,  and  says 
the  price  is  great.  But,  glory  to  Jesus,  there  is 
no  desire  in  our  hearts  to  go  back,  for  we  are 
happy  with  Jesus  alone,  and  just  one  glimpse  at 
the  altar,  filled  with  seekers  after  God,  more  than 
repays. 

Pray  for  us,  dear  ones,  as  we  go  forth  in  the 
life  of  faith,  with  Him  who  said, 

"Take  no  thought  for  what  you  shall  eat  'or 
drink,  or  for  what  you  shaft  put  on,  for  the  Lord 
your  God  knoweth  you  have  need  of  these  things." 

JACKSONVILLE. 

We  rejoiced  to  find  converts  who  had  been 
saved  and  baptized  during  the  first  meeting,  still 

156 


SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

walking  with  Jesus  and  growing  in  grace.  The 
results  at  the  second  meeting  surpassed  that  of 
the  first.  At  times  the  entire  altar  was  lined 
with  sinners  seeking  salvation.  Many  were  bap- 
tized in  the  Spirit,  and  many  healed. 
*  *  *  * 

The  Lord  then  led  us  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  preaching  and  distributing 
tracts  to  Durant?  Fla.,  there  to  conduct  the 

PLEASANT  GROVE  CAMP  MEETING. 

God  led  us,  with  marching  and  singing,  to  en- 
compass the  camp  and  lay  hands  upon  seats, 
altar,  etc.,  and  claim  them  for  Jesus.  The  glory  of 
the  Lord  was  in  our  midst.  The  tabernacle  was 
filled  to  overflowing  and  the  groves  strewn  with 
autos  and  teams  from  forty  miles  around.  A 
spirit  of  sweet  unity  and  humility  prevailed.  There 
were  wonderful  messages  in  prophecy  and  pro- 
phetic song.  Dramas  were  worked  out,  accom- 
panied by  tongues  and  interpretation.  Heavenly 
music  filled  the  place,  and  angel  choirs  were 
heard. 

Deep  conviction  rested  on  many,  and  the  altar 
filled  with  sinners  seeking  salvation.  One  dear 
little  girl  who  received  the  baptism  plead  with  all, 
in  tongues  and  English,  while  under  the  power, 
to  come  to  that  beautiful  city  of  God. 

TAMPA,  FLA. 

With  much  faith  and  eager  hands  upon  arriving 
we  set  to  work  getting  up  the  big  tent,  and  several 
smaller  ones,  making  seats,  installing  electrical 
apparatus,  painting  signs,  and  advertising.  The 
residence  district  and  business  section  were  visited 
with  handbills,  and  God  blessed  our  labor,  and 
the  tent  was  filled  and  a  large  number  stood  out- 
side. There  were  many  new  faces  each  night, 
inquiring  "What  meaneth  this?"  Coming  closer, 

157 


THIS  IS  THAT 


and  closer  to  the  front,  many  soon  plunged  into 
the  fountain. 

An  elderly  lady,  from  a  highly  respected  family 
of  the  city,  after  hearing  Pentecost  spoken  against 
in  persecuting  tones,  decided  to  come  and  judge 
for  herself.  Interested  from  the  start,  she  attended 
regularly,  later  accompanied  by  her  son  and 
daughter-in-law.  Soon  she  was  gloriously  bap- 
tized with  the  Holy  Spirit;  then  the  daughter,  a 
dear,  sweet  Christian,  began  very  earnestly  seek- 
ing Him,  and  her  husband  said  he  could  barely 
keep  in  his  seat,  the  power  of  God  for  salvation 
of  his  soul  was  so  strongly  upon  him. 

7,     Street    meetings    were    held    from    trucks    and 
Gospel  cars  in  many  parts  of  Tampa  and  Ybor 

j  City,   and  from  the  band  stand  in   front  of  the 
City  Hall. 

A  CROSS  COUNTRY  TRIP — TAMPA  TO  MIAMI  VIA  OKEE- 
CHOBEE  PRAIRIE  WITH  TRACTS  AND  GLAD  NEWS. 

When  we  left  Tampa  the  car  was  well  filled 
I'with  tracts  and  from  the  west  to  the  east  coast 
t  of  Florida,  a  distance  of  three  hundred  and  fifty 
miles,    we   faithfully    distributed   literature   until 

ithin  a  few  miles  of  our  destination,  when  all 
had  been  given  out,  and  souls  were  crowding 
about  the  car  asking  for  more. 

In  this  trip  we  passed  through  the  Okeechobee 
IPrairie,  and  Prairie  City,  visiting  each  house 

ith  the  first  Pentecostal  literature  they  had  ever 
seen. 

Our  car  being  heavily  loaded  this  trip,  we  did 
not  carry  a  sleeping  tent,  and  learned  a  little  of 

hat  Jesus  meant  when  he  said,  "The  birds  have 

ests  and  the  foxes  have  holes,  but  the  Son  of 
(man  has  not  where  to  lay  His  head."  The  first 
night  we  spent  in  the  car;  the  second  night  was 
spent  wrapped  in  a  blanket  by  the  camp  fire  on 
the  prairie  near  Okeechobee,  a  new  prairie  town, 

158 


SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

where  we  spread  the  news  of  Pentecost.  The  third 
night  was  spent  in  a  fisherman's  shanty  near  Palm 
Beach,  where  also  we  witnessed  for  Jesus.  The 
next  night  was  spent  in  a  little  railway  depot  to 
keep  out  of  the  driving  rain. 

All  the  homes  around  us  had  their  Christmas 
trees  and  fine  dinners,  but  as  our  tents  had  not 
yet  arrived,  and  we  did  not  wish  to  spend  the 
Lord's  money  on  a  room,  we  built  a  palm-leaf 
shanty  dn  the  beach,  and  hung  our  simple  Christ- 
mas gifts  on  a  little  tree  growing  near.  We  kneeled 
down  around  it  and  read  the  story  of  Jesus7  birth, 
and  after  prayer  opened  our  little  tokens.  Praise 
the  Lord !  Though  here  we  have  no  home  and  no 
abiding  city,  we  seek  one  whose  builder  and  maker 
is  God. 

TENT  MEETINGS,  MIAMI,  FLA. 

The  first  tent  meeting  conducted  in  Miami  was 
held  among  the  white  people,  the  second  among 
the  colored  saints.  To  the  first  meeting  thronged 
the  rich  and  fashionable  in  their  automobiles  and 
fine  clothing.  A  tent  meeting  was  a  novelty. 
They  came  to  be  amused,  but  many  remained  to 
weep  and  pray.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  see 
the  tears  rolling  down  their  faces,  as  they  came 
humbly,  and  kneeled  at  the  altar,  giving  their 
hearts  and  lives  to  Jesus  in  response  to  the 
simple  message. 

Because  of  the  strong  racial  feeling,  the  dear  col- 
ored people  did  not  feel  free  to  attend  the  white 
meeting.  The  Lord  put  such  a  love  in  my  heart  for 
the  colored  race  that  it  was  almost  impossible  for 
me  to  pass  one  of  them  on  the  street  without  such 
floods  of  love  welling  up  in  my  heart  that  I  had  to 
step  up  to  them  and  inquire: 

"Have  you  ever  heard  of  the  latter  rain  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  with  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in 

159 


THIS  IS  THAT 

tongues,  and  of  the  soon  coming  of  Jesus?"  I  think 
they  must  have  felt  my  love  for  them  for  they 
flocked  about  me  whilst  visiting  and  distributing 
tracts  in  their  neighborhoods.  Thus  it  was  that 
after  the  white  camp  meeting  we  moved  our 
equipment  to  the  other  side  of  town  amongst  these 
precious  people. 

MIAMI  COLORED   CAMP   MEETING. 

The  tabernacle  was  filled,  night  after  night, 
with  precious  black  pearls  to  be  gathered  for 
Jesus.  Picture  a  great  platform  thirty-two  feet 
long  and  twelve  feet  wide,  filled  with  baptized, 
colored  saints,  dancing,  singing,  clapping  their 
hands,  testifying  with  unction  and  a  clear  ring 
that  carried  conviction.  Picture  an  audience 
where  the  power  of  God  fell  till  often  the  evange- 
list could  not  minister,  but  the  Spirit  took  full 
control;  picture  the  colored  saints,  old  and  young, 
dancing  in  the  aisles,  sinners  weeping  their  way 
to  the  altar,  seekers  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  talking  in  tongues,  and  then  you  would  see 
only  a  little  corner  of  this  meeting. 

At  times  the  power  fell  till  every  one  raised 
faces  shining  with  heaven's  light,  just  shouted,  and 
praised  the  Lamb  for  sinners  slain,  till  the  noise 
could  be  heard  blocks  away,  and  people  came  run- 
ning to  cry:  "What  meaneth  this?" 

At  other  times  a  holy  hush,  a  spirit  of  weeping 
and  great  heart-searching  and  humbling  swept  the 
people  from  their  seats  and  they  fell  on  their 
knees  in  the  aisles,  between  the  seats,  and  at  the 
altar  and  are  now  cleansed  whiter  than  the  driven 
snow,  living  pure,  holy  lives  for  the  Jesus  who 
said:  "Go,  and  sin  no  more." 

Drunkards  testified  to  having  been  delivered 
from  drink,  gamblers  to  being  set  free  from  gamb- 
ling; sinful  girls  and  women  of  shame  testified 

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SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

that  the  Lord  had  saved  and  cleansed  them  from 
sin. 

Long  marches  were  taken  through  the  streets, 
and  they  sang  as  only  colored  folk  can,  played 
their  musical  instruments  and  shouted  till  people 
ran  to  know  what  had  happened.  Many  danced 
right  on  the  march  and  demonstrated  to  all  that 
"It  is  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory." 

Some  two  hundred  colored  saints  have  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Spirit  in  Miami,  and  many  more  are 
seeking  and  finding. 

The  people  are  very  poor,  and  go  to  meeting  in 
aprons  and  overalls.  Collections  very  small,  and 
were  it  not  for  the  dear  friends  sending  offerings 
in  letters,  we  would  have  fallen  further  behind 
financially  than  we  did.  Several  times,  when  we 
were  wondering  how  to  meet  the  heavy  ex- 
penses of  freight,  gas,  oil,  lumber,  lights,  groceries, 
clothing,  the  needed  amount  came  on  the  next 
mail  from  some  child  of  God  whom  Father  had 
been  telephoning  to.  Thank  God  that  even  in  these 
days,  when  prices  are  soaring,  it  is  possible  to  live 
a  life  of  faith.  It  has  meant  self  sacrifice,  and  in 
our  reports  we  endeavor  to  picture  the  sunny 
side,  to  encourage  the  many  who  live  far  from 
meetings,  but  fail,  perhaps,  to  show  the  other  side, 
where  sometimes  in  driving  rains,  we  find  our 
sleeping  tents  ankle  deep  in  water,  our  bedding 
wet,  where  we  struggle  to  cook  on  smoky  oil  stoves 
and  yet  keep  singing  and  smiling,  fighting  the  good 
fight  of  faith. 

KEY  WEST  FOR  JESUS. 

In  the  Island  of  Key  West  doors  opened  every- 
where. Many  begged  us  to  ship  our  tent  here  and 
conduct  an  evangelistic  campaign  that  would  reach 
every  corner  of  the  Island,  volunteering  their  help 

and  prayers,  declaring  that  few  evangelists  came 

,j 
161 


THIS  IS  THAT 

so  far  out  of  the  way,  and  that  the  whole  city 
would  turn  out  to  the  meeting. 

The  grounds  of  the  Harris  High  School  (beauti- 
fully located)  was  chosen  as  a  site  for  the  tent 
meetings.  Every  seat  was  taken  nightly  and  many 
were  standing.  New  seats  were  obtained  three 
times  and  arranged  outside  of  the  tent,  but  it  was 
impossible  to  seat  the  large  audiences.  Ofttimes 
the  tent  was  filled  two  hours  before  meeting  was 
to  begin,  so  anxious  were  these  hungry  souls  to 
obtain  seats.  Men  and  women  came  to  the  altar 
for  salvation,  and  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Sick  were  healed  and  the  Lord  gave  me 
blessed  liberty  in  proclaiming  the  message  of  the 
hour. 

My  soul  was  so  burdened  for  the  dear  colored 
people  that  I  announced  from  the  public  platform 
that  I  had  done  my  duty  in  the  Lord  toward  the 
white  population  of  the  Island,  and  must  risk 
their  displeasure  and  disapproval  now  by  going  to 
the  poor  colored  folk  and  telling  them  the  same 
story.  Some  remonstrated,  but  as  they  saw  the 
earnestness  and  longing  in  my  heart,  almost  all 
agreed  to  help,  and  gave  us  no  humbler  spot  for 
said  meeting  than  the  spacious  grounds  that  sur- 
rounded the  court  house. 

Then  began  earnest  visiting  among  the  colored 
people.  At  first  it  was  impossible  to  make  them 
believe  that  this  was  a 

COLORED  CAMP  MEETING. 

or  to  persuade  them  that  they  were  welcome  to 
come  inside  and  take  seats,  but  when  they  really 
found  it  was  true,  how  they  flocked  in ! 

One  dear  colored  brother,  whom  everyone,  black 
and  white,  admitted  to  be  a  saint  of  God,  created 
considerable  stir  when  he  came  up  the  aisle,  andt 
after  looking  at  me,  voiced  aloud  the  amazement 
which  was  written  upon  his  face — 

162 


SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

"Why,  Lawd  a'  massy!  If  dar  ain't  de  berry 
woman  what  de  Lawd  showed  me  in  ma'  vision! 
She  hab  on  de  berry  same  dress — her  hair  am 
combed  de  berry  same  way!  Yes,  dat's  de  berry 
woman  de  Lawd  showed  me  in  ma'  vision."  He 
later  explained  to  us  that  the  Lord  had  given 
him  a  vision,  some  weeks  previous,  of  a  white 
sister  coming,  taking  him  by  the  hand,  leading 
him  through  a  river  of  water  wherein  a  dove  came 
down  and  rested  upon  him,  and  later  leading  him 
into  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

It  was  impossible  to  keep  the  white  people 
away.  So  for  the  first  time  in  the  Island  the 
white  and  colored  attended  the  same  place  of 
worship  and  glorified  the  same  Lord  side  by  side. 
We  arranged  seats  for  the  white  people  at  the 
sides,  reserving  the  center  for  the  colored  people, 
but  so  interested  became  the  people  in  the  meetings 
that  reserve  was  a  thing  unknown. 

The  message  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  new  to  the 
dear  ones  here,  some  had  not  heard  at  all  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  only  one  colored  sister  knew  that 
He  had  come  as  a  tangible  Comforter. 

Seven  of  the  most  spiritual  of  the  colored  work- 
ers and  preachers  have  received  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  during  the  last  four  days. 

We  are  not  keeping  count  of  the  numbers  of  all 
that  are  being  saved  and  getting  through  to  God, 
but  the  names  are  recorded  in  the  Lamb's  book  of 
life. 

The  poor  and  despised  are  having  the  gospel 
preached  unto  them,  and  God  is  honoring  His  own 
Word,  preached  in  simplicity,  but  in  demonstra- 
tion and  power  with  signs  following. 

Wonderful  visions  are  seen  by  many  receiving 
the  Holy  Spirit.  A  sister  saw  a  vision  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord,  just  after  she  had  received  the 
baptism.  Leaping  to  her  feet  she  cried  aloud: 

163 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"O,  don't  you  see  Him  ?  Look !  Jesus  is  coining ! 
I  see  a  beautiful  star  rising  over  the  mountains 
and  hills.  Jesus  is  in  the  center  of  the  star.  O, 
see,  he  is  bursting  forth  in  glory  and  might !  Jesus ! 
Jesus ! !  JESUS ! ! ! 

Another  sister  coming  for  salvation,  screamed 
till  she  could  be  heard  far  away,  and  the  people 
came  running: 

"Lord,  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner!" 

Soon  she  sprang  to  her  feet,  dancing  and  clap- 
ping her  hands,  her  face  illuminated  with  the  joy 
of  salvation. 

A  colored  preached  seeking  the  baptism  with  no 
one  near  him,  fell  prostrate  and  in  a  few  moments 
was  speaking  with  tongues  and  glorifying  God. 
Suddenly  his  face  convulsed  as  though  in  agony, 
and  the  Lord  took  him  through  the  crucifixion 
scene.  He  described  the  death  and  love  of  Jesus, 
the  blood  trickling  from  His  wounds. 

A  boy  fourteen  years  old,  was  gloriously  saved, 
and  night  after  night,  pleads  and  exhorts  in  the 
most  remarkable  manner;  many  break  down  and 
weep  all  over  the  tabernacle. 

We  had  expected  to  close  here  last  night  (Sun- 
day, March  10th),  but  all  begged  for  the  meetings 
to  continue  till  enough  could  receive  the  Spirit 
to  open  a  Pentecostal  Mission  of  their  own. 

My  strength  has  been  holding  out  in  a  remark- 
able way,  through  this  strenuous  winter,  but  at 
present  I  am  very  weak  in  body,  and  have  to  hang 
on  to  God  for  strength  for  each  meeting.  Please 
pray  for  me,  saints,  that  I  do  not  fail  God.  Souls 
are  coming  home  to  Jesus.  All  around  are  thou- 
sands of  hungry  souls.  The  harvest  is  great, 
the  laborers  few.  As  Brother  McPherson  is  away 
again,  I  am  alone,  playing,  leading,  singing, 
preaching,  and  praying  at  the  altar,  besides  having 
the  Bridal  Call  to  prepare,  it  is  the  only  power 
of  God  that  can  sustain  me.  It  is  still  a  marvel 

164 


SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

in  my  eyes,  the  wonderful  way  the  Lord  helped  me 
while  left  alone  at  Key  West,  to  drive  stakes,  tie 
heavy  guy  ropes,  and  battle  to  keep  the  tent  up, 
amidst  wind  and  rain,  sometimes  preaching  all  day 
and  sitting  up  the  greater  portion  of  the  night  to 
watch  the  tents  and  keep  driving  the  stakes  in  with 
the  big  sledge-hammer,  as  fast  as  the  wind  pulled 
them  out,  through  the  night  watches,  while  a  three 
day  nor'wester  was  on. 

The  wind  died  down  and  the  meeting  closed  in 
triumphant  success.  The  Lord  sent  a  brother 
to  help  me  take  down  the  big  tabernacle,  and  two 
colored  sisters  to  assist  me  in  taking  apart  some 
two  hundred  big  long  benches,  pulling  the  nails 
and  piling  the  lumber  under  the  blazing  sun, 
rolling  the  great  strips  of  canvas,  getting  them  into 
their  bags  and  shipping  them  to  the  next  place. 
Truly  He  gives  His  people  supernatural  strength 
when  they  are  in  the  center  of  His  will. 

The  farewell  scene  at  the  depot  is  a  pleasant 
memory.  The  station  platform  was  well-filled  with 
both  white  and  colored  saints  who  had  got  up  early 
to  say  a.  last  good  bye,  bringing  little  offerings  to 
help  us  with  our  fare,  and  wave  us  on  our  way. 
Dozens  came  up  and  gripped  my  hand  as  I  stood 
on  the  steps  of  the  train,  telling  how  they  had  been 
blessed  in  the  meeting. 

It  was  just  at  the  time  of  my  departure  from 
Key  West  that  my  dear  Mother,  with  Roberta 
(whom  she  had  been  caring  for),  joined  me.  She 
had  told  me,  when  I  entered  the  work,  that  if  ever 
I  needed  her  help,  no  matter  what  it  was,  she 
would  give  it,  and  now  I  did  need  her  help  as 
never  before.  Being  left  alone  so  much,  with  the 
care  of  the  tents,  meetings,  and  an  ever-growing 
correspondence  which  really  needed  the  entire  time 
of  one  person,  the  Bridal  Call  subscription  lists, 
shipping  of  freight,  arrangement  of  new  meetings, 
my  strength  was  giving  way. 

165 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Sister  N (who  assisted  in  duties  about  the 

tent)  and  myself  were  alone  at  night  in  the  big: 
court  yard,  with  drunken  men  and  soldiers,  reeling 
by  the  tents  until  all  hours  of  the  morning.  God 
marvelously  protected  and  cared  for  us  insomuch 
that  no  one  came  near  or  molested  us  in  any  way. 
I  was  strongly  impressed,  however,  to  telegraph 
for  my  Mother  to  come  to  my  assistance,  not  only 
because  I  needed  the  protection  of  a  mother's 
presence,  but  to  take  hold  of  the  business  end  of 
the  work,  and  now,  in  answer  to  prayer  and  the 
appeal  of  the  telegrams,  here  she  was,  sitting  by 
my  side  as  the  train  sped  across  the  long  bridges 
which  spanned  the  ocean  from  island  to  island  for 
the  hundred  miles  back  to  the  coast  of  Florida. 

Mother  has  been  with  me  from  that  day  up  to 
the  time  of  the  present  writing.  She  has  never 
shirked  a  duty  nor  one  of  the  responsibilities  laid 
upon  her  by  the  work,  lifting  from  my  shoulders 
the  entire  burden  of  the  correspondence,  caring 
for  the  long  lists  of  Bridal  Call  subscriptions, 
overseeing  the  care  of  the  children,  packing,  travel- 
ling, and  a  score  of  other  duties,  and  I  have  been 
left  free  to  give  myself  continually  to  prayer,  the 
ministry  of  the  Word,  and  writing.  She  has  ever 
been  a  source  of  cheer  and  inspiration.  How  won- 
derful that  she  received  the  call  first — that  through 
her  call  I  was  brought  into  the  work — and  that 
the  second  time,  through  my  call,  she  was  brought 
into  the  work  again. 

After  a  short  meeting  amongst  the  colored  people 
of  West  Palm  Beach,  and  the  colored  camp  meet- 
ing at  Miami,  we  shipped  our  tents  to  Orlando, 
Fla.,  and  journeyed  thither  ourselves  in  our  Gos- 
pel Auto,  distributing  tracts  and  witnessing  for 
Jesus  all  the  way  up  the  coast. 


166 


SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

ORLANDO  TENT  MEETINGS. 

Our  freight  was  delayed  by  an  embargo,  and 
our  time  limited,  having  only  a  little  over  two 
weeks  before  we  must  journey  northward  to  pre- 
pare for  the  Nation  Wide  Camp  Meeting  in  Phil- 
adelphia, Pa. 

Inquiring  of  the  Lord,  as  we  drove  along  Main 
Street  in  our  car,  I  saw  a  large,  brown  tent  which 
would  seat  at  least  five  hundred  people  more  than 
our  own  tabernacle  would  hold.  Inside  we  found 
a  fine  floor,  formerly  used  as  a  skating  rink.  The 
Lord  touched  the  owner's  heart  to  rent  us  the  tent 
at  a  small  cost  for  our  series  of  meetings.  This 
was  the  first  time  the  holding  up  of  our  freight 
had  delayed  a  camp  meeting,  and  Father  had  a 
better  tent  all  up,  empty  and  waiting  for  us,  floor 
and  all. 

People  warned  us  that  Orlando  was  aristocratic, 
we  need  not  expect  them  to  come  to  a  tent  meet- 
ing, but  we  were  sure  God  had  not  made  a  mistake 
in  sending  us,  so  we  went  to  work.  Notices  were 
put  in  the  papers,  seats  engaged,  hand  bills  gotten 
out  and  meetings  opened.  So  persistently  did  we 
advertise  by  hand  bills,  by  numerous  street  meet- 
ings, driving  up  and  down  the  streets,  inviting 
people  to  come  to  the  tent  and  hear  more  about  it, 
that  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  there  was  anyone 
within  a  radius  of  several  miles  but  what  knew 
that  there  was  a  tent  meeting  in  progress  in 
Orlando. 

At  first  many  merely  lined  up  their  cars  in  the 
streets  around  the  tent  and  listened  at  a  dignified 
distance,  but  soon  the  fire  began  to  fall,  and  the 
ice  began  to  melt,  and  leaving  their  cars  they 
entered  the  tent  and  many,  praise  God,  came  to 
the  altar. 

The  crowds  increased  daily  in  numbers  and  in- 
terest. Six  came  to  the  altar  for  salvation  the 
first  meeting,  and  there  was  not  a  meeting  but 

167 


THIS  IS  THAT 

sinners  were  saved  and  believers  baptized  with  the 
Spirit,  night  after  night  the  long  altar  bench  was 
filled  and  so  were  hungry  hearts. 

Never  were  we  treated  with  more  love  and  re- 
spect, each  seemed  to  vie  with  the  other  to  help 
and  encourage  us.  First,  (our  small  living  tents 
not  having  arrived),  a  cottage  by  the  lake,  with 
a  garage,  was  put  at  our  disposal  free  of  charge 
during  our  stay.  The  best  bakery  in  town  sent 
their  delivery  wagon,  with  such  great  baskets  of 
bread,  pies,  cake  and  cookies,  that  we  had  enough 
to  share  with  our  people. 

People  who  owned  orange  groves  brought  us 
fruit  by  the  bushel.  The  grocer  sent  boxes  packed 
to  the  brim  with  canned  goods  and  vegetables, 
flour  and  sugar.  People  came  to  our  door  to 
tell  us  of  the  blessing  they  had  received  in  the 
meetings.  Oh,  it  means  so  much  to  be  in  the 
center  of  God's  divine  will.  He  will  open  doors 
and  close  doors,  overthrow  the  mighty  and  make 
your  enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  you.  Bless  the 
Lord. 

The  tent,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  nearly  fif- 
teen hundred,  was  filled  to  overflowing,  rows  of 
automobiles,  and  other  vehicles  lined  the  street. 
Ministers  and  workers  from  various  churches  at- 
tended; some  declared  that  this  was  the  long-lost 
power  their  churches  used  to  have.  Others  scoffed 
in  derision. 

Altogether  the  devil  was  afraid  he  was  going  to 
lose  some  of  his  people.  So  he  had  one  lady  who 
lived  several  blocks  from  the  tent  go  to  the  police 
and  protest  that  she  could  not  sleep  at  night.  The 
next  evening  a  policeman  brought  a  paper  to  the 
tent,  stating  that  we  must  close  our  meeting  at 
ten  o'clock.  Toward  the  end  of  my  sermon  I  held 
a  watch  in  my  hand  and  kept  looking  at  it  as  I 
spoke.  I  talked  fast  as  I  could,  and  at  five  minutes 
to  ten  told  the  people  I  knew  they  were  hungry 

168 


SECOND  SOUTHERN  CAMPAIGN  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  WORK 

and  would  like  to  come  to  the  altar,  and  that 
there  were  souls  there  that  should  be  saved,  but 
that  a  lady  had  complained  of  the  noise,  there- 
fore we  would  all  rise  and  be  dismissed,  and  please 
not  to  stand  or  walk  but  to  go  out  as  quickly  and 
quietly  as  possible. 

Will  I  ever  forget  the  look  on  those  people's 
faces!  Some  of  them  almost  owned  the  town, 
and  for  them  to  be  told  they  had  to  close  a  meet- 
ing at  ten  o'clock — some  of  the  men  snorted  at  the 
very  thought,  and  on  the  way  out  said : 

"We'll  see  about  this !" 

"The  idea!  This  place  was  open  as  a  skating 
rink  for  months  and  was  kept  open  until  midnight. 
Now  the  Gospel's  being  preached  they  want  to 
close  it  at  ten  o'clock,  eh?" 

"The  Mayor's  a  friend  of  mine.  I  will  see  about 
that.  Don't  you  be  afraid,  little  woman.  This 
thing  will  be  all  straightened  out  by  tomomnv 
night." 

Neighbors  came  up;  people  who  had,  up  to  this 
time,  kept  at  arm's  length  and  not  been  quite  sure 
whether  they  approved  of  us  or  not,  hesitated  no 
longer,  but  were  our  warm  friends  from  that 
time  on. 

True  to  their  word  they  got  together  in  groups 
on  the  streets  talking  it  over.  Next  day  a  ladv 
who  was  the  owner  of  a  large  boarding  house,  went 
about  the  neighborhood  and  had  a  petition  signed 
that  this  order  should  be  cancelled,  declaring  that 
the  noise  did  not  bother  them.  This  clipping  ap- 
peared on  the  front  page  of  one  of  the  Orlando 
papers  next  day : 

MRS.  ROONEY  AIDS  CHURCH. 

"Mrs.  Bettie  Rooney  deserves  the  thanks  of  all  lovers  of 
religious  liberty  for  coming  to  the  rescue  and  aid  of  Mrs. 
McPherson,  who  is  conducting  a  series  of  meetings  in  the 
big  tent. 

"It  seems  that  some  one,  whom  Mrs.  Rooney  claimed  lived 
at  a  distance,  had  the  city  officers  close  the  meeting  at  an 

169 


IS  THAtf 

early  hour  on  account  of  the  noise  of  the  speaking  and  sing- 
ing interfering  with  their  sleep,  when  Mrs.  Rooney,  good 
Christian  woman  that  she  is,  immediately  secured  a  petition 
with  the  names  of  twenty-five  citizens  living  right  near  the 
gospel  meetings,  who  protested  to  the  Mayor  against  having 
the  meetings  broken  up  at  so  early  an  hour,  which  of  course 
was  acted  on  favorably,  and  the  disgruntled  ones  will  have  to 
find  something  else  to  bring  against  the  meeting. 

"The  only  real  charge  against  the  meeting  is  that  they 
preach  the  old  fashioned  GOSPEL,  straight  from  the  shoulder, 
and  it  makes  some  of  the  hifalutin  frock-tails,  who  orate  in 
the  pulpit  to  swell  congregations,  who  look  through  one  eye- 
glass and  wear  silk  tomfooleries,  envious  because  of  empty 
benches  prevailing. 

"It  would  do  some  preachers  good  to  get  religion  and  pass 
it  on  as  these  people  are  doing." 

Immediately  the  order  was  cancelled  and  the 
meetings  went  on,  oft-times  till  midnight. 

A  young  lady  who  came  with  a  group  of  others 
from  fashionable  families,  full  of  unbelief,  was 
startled  and  thoroughly  convinced  when  one  night 
the  Lord  put  His  power  down  upon  me  and  gave 
a  message  in  tongues  in  the  Spanish  language,  of 
which  I  knew  not  a  word.  Here  is  her  testimony : 

"I  was  very  much  impressed  at  one  of  the  tent 
meetings,  to  hear  Mrs.  McPherson  speak  in  Span- 
ish, and  directly  afterwards  to  give  exactly  the 
same  message  in  English.  She  was  not  conscious 
of  speaking  in  Spanish.  When  told  later  of  it  she 
was  quite  surprised  and  said  she  did  not  know  a 
word  of  Spanish.  I  also  heard  her  talk  in  other 
languages  with  which  I  was  not  acquainted. 

ANNIE  L.  TREADWELL." 

When  it  came  time  to  close  the  meetings  and  to 
move  on  toward  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  the 
town  wherein  we  were  told  the  people  were  proud 
and  would  pay  no  attention  to  us,  turned  out 
enmasse  to  the  closing  meeting.  One  of  the  cftf- 
zens  made  a  speech  in  behalf  of  their  townsmen, 
thanking  us  for  our  labors  of  love  amongst  them, 
inviting  us  to  come  back,  saying  that  they  would 
do  all  in  our  power  to  assist  us.  A  sum  of 
money  was  presented  to  help  with  the  expenses 
of  the  northward  journey. 

170 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MEETINGS  IN  VIRGINIA  AND 
GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS. 

"Let  her  glean  even  among  the  sheaves,  and  reproach  her 
not.  And  let  fall  also  some  of  the  handfuls  of  purpose  for 
her,  that  she  may  glean  them,  and  rebuke  her  not. 

So  she  gleaned  in  the  field  until  even,  and  beat  out  that 
she  had  gleaned."  Ruth  2:15,  16,  17. 

IT  WAS  late  at  night  when  we  neared  the  state 
of  Virginia,  after  reaching  which  we  would 
still  have  a  couple  of  hundred  miles  to  jour- 
ney.   We  all  expressed  the  desire  to  press  on 
and  spend  the  night  on  good  old  Virginia  soil.    We 
had  heard  of  the  warm  hearts  of  the  Virginia  people 
and  wondered  whether  it  was  really  true.    Crossing 
the  border  we  entered  a  sleeping  little  town  and 
drew  up  under  the  trees  by  the  side  of  the  road  to 
open  out  our  automobile  bed  and  erect  our  tent  cov- 
ering for  the  night. 

Waking  early  and  peeping  out  from  under  the 
protecting  curtains  to  get  our  first  daylight  view  of 
the  place,  we  were  surprised  to  find  two  houses 
near  us,  one  just  across  the  street,  the  other  a  little, 
to  our  right.  A  man  and  his  wife  standing  on  the 
piazza  of  the  former  were  looking  toward  us  talk- 
ing earnestly,  no  doubt  wondering  who  we  were. 

Preparing  to  continue  our  journey,  we  had  just 
finished  our  roadside  toilet,  when  the  man  came 
hurrying  across  with  a  silver  tray,  with  a  large 
glass  bowl  brim  full  of  ripe,  crimsoned  straw- 
berries,  a  pitcher  of  thick  cream  and  a  bowl  of 
powdered  sugar.  Then  a  little  girl  came  running 
from  the  other  house  with  a  pan  of  hot  steaming 
biscuits  and  a  quart  of  fresh  milk  from  the  jersey 

171 


THIS  IS  THAT 

cow  in  the  field,  neither  knew  what  the  other  had 
done.  This  was  our  first  experience  of  the  far- 
famed  Virginian  hospitality. 

PULASKI,  VA. 

PREACHING  ON  THE  COURT  HOUSE  STEPS. 

We  were  entertained  in  the  beautiful  home  of 
Brother  Z.  Cecil  during  our  ten  days'  meeting  in 
the  town.  In  order  to  reach  as  many  people  as 
possible  with  the  message  in  the  shortest  time,  it 
was  decided  to  hold  daily  street  meetings  in  addi- 
tion to  the  regular  meetings  in  the  Pentecostal 
Holiness  Church.  When  Brother  Cecil  went  to 
ask  the  town  officials  for  permission  to  preach  on 
the  street,  they  kindly  invited  us  to  come  in  and 
make  use  of  the  court  house  steps  and  spacious 
lawn. 

The  first  night  we  went  in  a  pouring  rain  and 
preached,  feeling  that  time  is  too  short  to  stop  for 
a  little  rain.  A  large  crowd  gathered  and  the 
power  fell.  Nightly  the  crowd  increased  until  it 
was  a  mass  meeting  and  autos  packed  both  sides 
of  the  street.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight  as  we 
preached  in  God's  big  out-doors,  and  the  people 
sat  on  the  grassy  lawn  around  this  spacious 
building. 

It  was  an  unprecedented  sight  to  see  the  power 
falling  in  such  a  place  as  the  saints  sang  and 
danced  upon  the  court  house  steps  and  down  on 
the  pavement.  Hearts  were  touched  and  tears 
ran  down  the  people's  faces,  and  crowds  followed 
to  the  meetings, 

IN  THE  PENTECOSTAL  HOLINESS  CHURCH. 

The  church  was  unable  to  hold  the  crowds  who 
stood  all  about  the  yards  and  street,  trying  to  hear 
and  see.  Several  who  had  been  seeking  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  for  years  received,  new  convert* 
just  saved  also  rejoiced  in  receiving  the  Comforter. 

172 


MEETING  IN  VIRGINIA  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS 
TWO  MISSIONS  CONVINCED  OF  BIBLE  EVIDENCE. 

After  the  close  of  the  services  we  had  decided 
to  take  two  days7  rest,  but  the  call  came  to  hold 
some  meetings  at  the  colored  church.  There  God 
led  along  the  line  of  the  Bible  evidence  of  the 
baptism  and  made  it  so  plain  from  His  Word  that 
all  doubts  were  swept  away,  and  those  who  had 
been  conscientiously  standing  afar  off  rose  to  their 
feet  asking  the  people  to  forgive  them,  and  stated 
that  they  now  saw  the  light,  and  come  what 
might,  would  never  compromise  again. 

The  leader  of  another  mission  invited  us  to  come 
to  his  place  next  night,  saying : 

"Sister,  through  that  sermon  tonight  I  am  con- 
vinced that  the  speaking  in  other  tongues  as  the 
Spirit  gives  utterance  is  the  Bible  sign  that  invari- 
ably accompanies  the  incoming  of  the  Spirit,  and  I 
have  accepted  the  light.  Come  and  preach  to  my 
congregation  that  they,  too,  may  receive."  The 
following  night  found  his  assembly  packed  to  th? 
doors  long  before  starting  time,  and  God  worked 
and  honored  His  Word.  Hallelujah ! 

The  big-hearted  people  of  this  town  opened  their 
hearts  and  pocketbooks  and  our  needs  and  travel- 
ing expenses  were  more  than  supplied. 

KOANOKE,  VIRGINIA. 

Before  leaving  Pulaski,  the  Pastor  from  the 
Pentecostal  Holiness  Church  of  Eoanoke  called 
upon  us  asking  us  to  come  to  his  church.  The 
saints  desired  the  meeting  should  be  held  in  a  tent, 
but  the  pastor  insisted  and  on  our  arrival  in 
Eoanoke,  we  drew  up  finally  at  the  parsonage 
where  our  entertainment  had  been  arranged.  We 
saw  a  gentleman  seated  upon  the  piazza  and  noticed 
that  his  face  looked  dark  and  forbidding,  and  that 
he  did  not  welcome  us  in  any  way.  Even  when 

173 


THIS  IS  THAT 

seated  later  with  the  pastor  and  his  wife  upon 
the  piazza,  and  he  had  been  introduced  as  "Brother 
So  and  So,"  he  did  not  say  a  single  "Hallelujah" 
or  "God  bless  you." 

The  first  meeting  was  held  in  the  church.  The 
Lord  gave  me  the  Wisdom  not  to  go  into  the  pulpit 
or  even  on  the  platform,  so  I  stood  quietly  in  the 
front  and  delivered  my  message  upon  the  coming 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  preparation  of  the  Bride  to 
meet  Him.  Fervent  "Amens"  came  from  the  audi- 
ence and  tears  filled  many  eyes. 

This  brother,  who  sat  on  the  front  seat,  never 
looked  up,  but  had  the  same  dark,  thunder-cloud 
look  of  sarcasm  and  displeasure  upon  his  face. 
When  I  had  taken  my  seat  he  rose  and  gave  a, 
discourse,  which  was  fully  as  long  as  that  of 
mine.  Someone  whispered : 

"He  is  the  state  superintendent.  He  has  heard 
about  this  meeting  and  come  down  to  stop  it." 

I  cannot  repeat  his  discourse  in  words,  but 
the  substance  of  it  was  that  if  an  angel  came  down 
from  heaven  and  preached  any  other  doctrine  than 
that  which  was  set  forth  in  the  rules  and  regula- 
tions of  their  church  they  were  not  to  believe  it; 
that  the  message  of  tonight  was  all  very  well,  but 
that  he  had  heard  that  Sister  McPherson  taught 
actual  transgressions  and  inbred  sin  were  all  taken 
out  at  one  time,  when  we  entered  the  fountain  of 
blood.  He  said : 

"We  have  the  rules  and  regulations  of  our 
church  to  uphold.  Take  away  our  strong  teaching 
of  sanctification  as  a  second  definite  work  of  grace 
and  you  will  destroy  the  foundations  and  the  pil- 
lars upon  which  our  church  is  built." 

The  audience  sat  with  their  faces  a  mixture  of 
misery  and  pity,  but  I  was  praising  the  Lord  and 
saying : 

"Oh,  thank  you,  Jesus,"  as  He  poured  the 
blessings  into  my  soul. 

174 


MEETING  IN  VIRGINIA  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS 

When  the  dear  man  had  finished  speaking  I  rose 
and  said  that  it  would  not  be  courtesy  for  me  to 
make  any  reply  in  their  church;  that  I  had  come 
there  under  their  urgent  invitation  and  would  be 
willing  and  happy  to  preach  outside,  from  the 
Gospel  car,  or  on  a  vacant  lot,  anywhere  that  the 
saints  arranged  for  me. 

I  told  them  that  I  believed  in  the  finished  work 
of  Calvary,  believed  that  sin  is  sin  whether  it  is 
actual  transgressions,  Adamic  sin  or  inbred  sin, 
whatever  fancy  name  you  give  it,  sin  is  sin;  that 
while  man  looks  on  the  outward  appearance  (so- 
called  actual  transgressions)  God  looks  on  the 
heart,  (inbred  sin)  and  as  for  holiness,  why,  with- 
out holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.  We  must 
be  saved,  must  be  sanctified,  but  'tis  all  through 
the  precious  atoning  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  "The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  God's  Son,  cleanses  us  from 
ALL  sin." 

Several  leaped  to  their  feet  and  said  they  would 
get  a  place  outside  at  once.  (Both  ministers  said 
"No,  stay  on  for  the  time  of  the  meetings  in  th<? 
church.57)  The  Lord  gave  many  the  witness  and 
the  meetings  being  announced  for  Sunday,  they 
started  out  to  search  for  land. 

Lots  some  distance  from  the  church  and  on  the 
main  streets  were  traced  up,  but  it  was  impossible 
to  secure  them.  Every  other  place  was  blocked 
except  the  lot  of  land  just  opposite  the  Pentecostal 
Holiness  Church.  This  was  given  free  of  charge. 
(How  those  precious  saints  worked  all  that 
Saturday ! ) 

No  tent  being  available,  two  great  strips  of  can- 
vass were  secured  and  stretched  over  as  large  a 
space  as  possible.  Three  assemblies  loaned  their 
seats,  lumber  was  hurried  to  the  spot  and  a  plat- 
form ;erected. 

Each  contributed  something  towards  the  erec- 
tion of  the  hurried  meeting  place.  One  brother 

175 


THIS  IS  THAT 

gave  the  electric  light  wires  and  fixtures;  and 
though  'twas  late  Saturday  noon  the  electric  com- 
pany sent  out  a  special  car  and  installed  a  meter. 

A  Sister  loaned  her  lovely  piano  for  these  out-of- 
door  meetings,  told  us  we  were  "welcome  to  the 
whole  house"  and  paid  the  drayage  on  the  piano 
for  us.  O,  for  more  such  consecrated  people! 

Thousands  stood  for  hours  packed  all  about  the 
tent  after  every  available  seat  was  taken,  altar 
filled,  the  saints  sitting  about  the  floor  of  the  plat- 
form till  it  was  almost  impossible  for  me  to  move 
about  without  stepping  on  someone. 

Men  were  saved,  Hallelujah !  Sick  were  healed. 
Two  ministers  who  had  been  fighting  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit,  said : 

"We  will  fight  you  no  longer/7  and  came  to  the 
altar. 

Street  meetings  were  held  every  night  on  the 
busiest  corner  from  our  Gospel  car,  and  the  city 
was  stirred.  People  wept  as  they  stood  about  the 
car.  A  dear  man  came  with  the  tears  rolling  down 
his  face  and  kneeled  at  the  running-board  of  the 
car  as  Brother  Dougherty  (who  arranged  all 
the  meetings)  prayed  with  him  as  he  wept  his  way 
through  to  Calvary. 

SALEM  ASSEMBLY  COMES  TO  OUR  HELP. 

Whilst  holding  an  afternoon  meeting  in  Salem 
the  Pastor  of  the  Salem  Church  decided  to  close 
its  door  during  the  balance  of  the  meetings,  and 
with  his  wife  and  daughters  and  flock  to  come  to 
our  assistance.  They  brought  with  them  their 
musical  instruments,  and  took  charge  of  the  music 
and  were  a  blessing  to  all. 

When  it  was  time  to  close  the  meetings,  many 
business  people  and  Christian  workers  offered  tc> 
rent  the  big  auditorium,  seating  thousands  of 
people,  if  we  would  stay  another  week.  We  had 
promised  Viola,  Del.,  however,  and  closed  on  the 

176 


MEETING  IN  VIRGINIA  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS 

Sunday  night  with  thousands  of  people  hungering 
after  God,  the  long  altar  benches  were  filled  and 
refilled. 

Virginia  is  a  wonderful  field;  we  trust  that  we 
may  again  visit  this  beautiful  state  with  its  moun- 
tains and  valleys,  and  hospitable  homes. 

GOSPEL   AUTO   NEWS    (July,   1918.) 

"Never  did  valiant  warrior  return  with  a  more 
conquering  tread,  or  more  loyal  heart  throbbing 
within,  nor  more  deserving  of  this  public  tribute 
than  our  faithful  'Pentecostal  Gospel  Car'." 

From  the  northernmost  town  in  Maine,  by  the 
Canadian  border  to  the  southernmost  city  in  the 
entire  United  States  of  America,  undaunted  by 
mountain  or  valley,  it  has  steadily  and  safely  car- 
ried not  only  the  messengers  but  the  message,  and 
has  been  indeed  and  in  truth  a  Flaming  Evangel, 
declaring  in  letters  of  gold,  that  gleam  oft-times 
into  the  amazed  eyes  of  the  onlookers  with  a.s 
startling  an  effect  as  did  the  handwriting  on  the 
wall  in  Belshazzar's  palace  long  ago. 

Thousands  of  persons  and  vehicles  have  streamed 
by  the  side  of  the  Gospel  Car,  but  free  from  the 
man-fearing  spirit,  and  impervious  to  criticism, 
instant  in  season  and  out  of  season,  the  Gospel  Car 
has  never  hidden  its  light  beneath  the  bushel, 
whether  the  gay  bridal  party  dashed  by  with  lilt 
of  laughter  and  fragrant  orange  blossoms,  or 
whether  funeral  procession,  with  sombre-plumed 
hearse,  and  black-garbed  mourners,  whether  the 
dancing  children  rollicked  by,  or  the  aged  man 
feebly  leaning  on  his  cane,  it  has  solemnly  in- 
quired of  one  and  all,  "Where  will  you  spend 
eternity?"  declaring  that  "Judgment  day  is  com- 
ing," and  exhorting  them  to  "Get  Right  With 
God." 

Often,  as  we  slow  up  amidst  dense  city  traffic, 

177 


THIS  IS  THAT 

it  would  seem  to  one  uninitiated  in  Gospel  Auto 
life  as  though  many  of  the  usually  sedate  pedes- 
trians on  the  sidewalk,  heretofore  quietly  pursuing 
their  daily  routine,  had  suddenly  and  involuntarily 
been  transformed  into  fiery  street  preachers,  who, 
startled  out  of  themselves,  demanded  from  one 
and  all,  in  tones  Avhich  electrify  their  fellow  citi- 
zens, "Where  will  you  spend  eternity?"  Those 
within  hearing  distance  of  the  voice  look  up  aghast 
into  the  speaker's  gaze,  they  themselves  see  the  car 
and  take  up  the  great  question,  "\Yhere?'' 

Sometimes  when  we  leave  the  car  on  some  er- 
rand, we  find  on  returning  that  a  crowd  has  gath- 
ered about  the  faithful  car  w^hich  is  holding  its 
own  street  meeting  and  preaching  all  by  itself; 
and  who  can  say  with  what  results  for  eternity? 

No  member  of  our  party  takes  a  more  active  part 
or  renders  more  efficient  and  obedient  service  in 
every  branch  of  the  service  than  does  the  Gospel 
Car.  Are  there  a  thousand  tracts  to  be  dis- 
tributed through  the  byways  and  hedges,  or  placed 
in  the  B.  F.  D.  boxes?  The  Gospel  Car  is  ready. 
Is  there  a  street  meeting  to  be  held?  There  is  one 
preacher  that  can  always  be  depended  upon— 
Gospel  Car. 

Is  there  a  pulpit  needed?  Down  goes  the  top 
and  here  is  the  car  for  a  pulpit.  Is  there  a  stand 
\ieeded?  The  windshield  opens  to  hold  Bible  and 
song  book.  An  altar  needed  where  the  penitent 
may  weep  his  way  to  Calvary?  The  running-board 
does  good  service,  ever  ready  to  receive  the  copious 
tears  of  seeker  and  worker  as  they  kneel  together. 

Is  there  an  aged  couple,  or  a  mother  who  has 
stood  long  hours  to  listen  with  babe  in  arms,  to 
be  taken  home?  The  Gospel  car  is  ready.  A 
heavy  burden  to  be  carried?  an  errand  to  be  run? 
street  megaphone  messages  to  be  resounded?  The 
Gospel  Car  is  ready.  Is  there  -need  of  a  table  upon 
which  to  spread  the  modest  evening  meal  prepared 

178 


MEETING  IN  VIRGINIA  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS 

on  the  campfire  by  the  way?  dishes,  or  a  can  of 
food  needed?  The  Gospel  Car  supplies  the  need. 
Is  there  a  need  of  bed  and  bedding  for  the  weary 
traveler?  The  Gospel  Car  carries  one  folding  bed 
upon  its  running-board,  and  another  is  formed  by 
the  front  seat,  which  gently  lays  back  upon  its 
hinges,  uniting  front  and  back  seats  into  a  com- 
paratively comfortable  bed.  When  prayers  an.d 
(good-nights)  have  been  said  by  the  flickering^  of 
the  campfire,  the  Gospel  Car  affords  protection  and 
rest  under  the  whispering  pines.  When  the  editor, 
hardpressed  on  every  hand,  seeks  quiet  and  rest 
with  Bible  or  typewriter,  it  is  the  Gospel  Car 
that  bears  her  away  to  some  quiet  spot  apart  from 


the  throng. 


THE  DYING  BRIDE. 


Meetings  over,  the  last  lights  extinguished  in  the 
camp,  are  the  duties  of  the  Gospel  Car  ended'? 
May  she  rest?  No !  Quick  footsteps  and  an  urgent 
message  implores  us  to  come  at  once  to  the  dying 
bed  of  a  young  bride,  who,  but  a  few  hours  pre- 
vious, had  listened  to  our  message  and  had  later 
been  suddenly  stricken  and  was  passing  away.  It 
is  miles  away,  on  a  dark  and  perilous  country 
road.  How  can  we  get  there  in  time?  The  Gos- 
pel Car  is  ready,  and  speeds  a  swift  messenger  of 
mercy,  never  pausing  until  she  stands  by  the 
humble  cottage  door,  where  the  midnight  lights 
and  shadowy  forms  bespeak  the  presence  of  the 
death  angel,  whose  pinions  are  even  now  spread 
to  bear  away  the  slender  form  of  the  fair  young 
bride. 

Through  the  hours  of  waiting,  wherein  the  dy- 
ing and  living  alike  clung  to  our  hands  and  words 
for  strength  and  consolation,  until  the  last  good- 
bye was  spoken  and  the  sweet  voice  trailed  off  into 
silence  with  the  words:  "Meet  me  in  heaven!"  and 
the  last  breath  fluttered  gently  away;  and  on 

179 


THIS  IS  THAT 

through  the  hours  of  morning,  while  the  sorrowing 
parents  were  comforted,  and  the  hovering  angels 
rejoiced  as  the  young  husband  kneeled  by  the  still 
form  of  his  loved  one  and  gave  his  heart  to  Jesus, 
the  Gospel  Car  stood  silently  beneath  the  dews  of 
the  light,  gleaming  softly  in  the  starlight  exhorting 
each  neighbor  as  they  reverently  left  the  house 
with  uncovered  heads,  to  remember  that  for  them, 
too,  the  "Judgment  day  is  coming:  get  right  with 
God." 

And  when  again  the  Gospel  Car  had  brought  me 
back  to  the  home,  this  time  to  preach  the  funeral 
sermon,  as  I  looked  into  the  sweet  face  now  re- 
posing in  the  white,  flower-wreathed  casket,  I  could 
catch  the  echo  of  her  Avords  as  she  smiled  into  my 
face  and  said: 

"Sister  McPherson,  I'm  glad  you  are  here,  and 
I'll — meet — you — in — Heaven. " 

Then  on  behind  the  sure-footed  horses  that  drew 
the  hearse  and  carriages  over  stony  mountain 
passes  (considered  too  difficult  for  the  other  cars) 
and  hills  so  steep  that  the  nose  of  the  car  pointed 
heavenward,  with  a  sheer  cliff  above  and  a  preci- 
pice yawning  beneath;  then  down  into  valleys 
where  we  found  swollen  mountain  streams,  where 
the  water  came  over  the  running-board  of  the 
car  till  someone  cried  out: 

"Surely  we  can  go  no  further!"  But  NO,  the 
Gospel  Car,  with  a  determined  roar  from  her  en- 
gines and  a  quick  shift  of  her  gears,  emerged  from 
her  plunge  dripping,  panting,  but  triumphant. 

When  the  little  form  had  been  laid  at  rest  be- 
neath the  pines  on  the  mountain  to'p,  in  the  sure 
and  certain  hope  of  a  glorious  resurrection  in  that 
land  where  tears  are  wiped  away,  the  Gospel  Car, 
having  surmounted  all  difficulties  (sometimes  axle- 
deep  in  mud,  again  over  jagged  rocks  which  cruelly 
gashed  its  tires,  tested  and  threatened  on  every 
hand),  through  it  all  kept  up  on  the  return  trip 

180 


MEETING  IN  VIRGINIA  AND  GOSPEL  AUTO  NEWS 

till  we  reached  our  destination  and  her  work  was 
done,  then  with  a  long,  expiring  sigh,  one  tired  tire 
sank  slowly  to  the  ground.  Nevertheless  (bathe 
and  rub  it  as  we  will),  like  all  other  true  warriors 
of  steel,  the  Gospel  Car  bears  its  honorable  scars 
of  battle,  without  which  no  hero  is  truly  decorated. 
Gazing  upon  mark  scar  of  battle,  we  recall  with 
joyous  hearts  each  scene  these  scars  portray. 

Through  the  many  miles  of  travel  the  engine  has 
never  given  us  one  moment's  trouble,  yet  many 
a  time  tires  have  been  patched  and  repatched, 
mended  and  reinforced  until  a  cheery  letter  accom- 
panied by  a  donation  meets  the  pressing  need,  speci- 
fying that  this  offering  was  for  Gospel  Auto 
Work. 

LIVES   SAVED    BY    THE   GOSPEL    CAR. 

"Dear  Sister  McPherson: 

"Praise  God  for  sending  you  and  your  Gospel 
Car  to  our  town;  if  you  had  not  come  here,  my 
brother,  his  wife  and  sister-in-law  would  probably 
have  been  blown  into  hell,  as  my  brother  had  re- 
solved to  shoot  both  them  and  himself;  but  while 
he  was  on  the  piazza  he  saw  God's  car  go  by,  and 
he  read:  'Where  will  y-o-u  spend  eternity?'  It 
held  and  gripped  him.  He  went  in  and  told  his 
wife  (a  very  wicked  woman — a  saloon-keeper's 
daughter).  She  Too-poohed !'  and  hardened  her 
heart,  although  she  knew  him  to  be  desperate. 
Only  a  very  short  time  before  they  found  him  in 
the  cellar  basement,  gas  turned  on  at  two  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  unconscious;  in  five  minutes  more 
would  have  been  past  all  earthly  help,  the  doctor 
said. 

"My  brother  was  wonderfully  convicted  and  has 
since  been  saved,  and  is  now  seeking  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  pays  to  pray.  After  fifty- 
five  years  of  prayer  by  Mother,  he  has  at  last 
yielded  to  God.  Bless  His  Name !"  c.  A.  s. 

181 


THIS  IS  THAT 

VIOLA,  DELAWARE 

We  were  obliged  to  drive  night  and  day  to  make 
our  appointment  in  time.  We  found  the  saints  full 
of  faith  and  good  works,  and  the  meetings  through- 
out were  at  a  time  of  spiritual  quickening  and  up- 
building. The  building  was  crowded  as  never  be- 
fore with  an  earnest  throng,  listening  eagerly  to 
the  unfolding  of  the  divine  plan  of  the  ages  for  the 
salvation  of  mankind,  and  the  conviction  was 
great;  one  Catholic  brother  ran  from  the  building, 
declaring  he  would  have  to  go  to  the  altar  if  he 
remained  longer. 

The  meeting  over,  we  started  for  Philadelphia 
and  New  York,  driving  all  night,  reaching  Phila- 
delphia before  dawn.  We  did  not  pause,  but 
pressed  on  to  Atlantic  Beach,  where  we  rested  on 
the  sand  for  an  hour,  contemplating  the  greatness 
of  the  handiwork  of  God.  Again  pressing  on  to 
Long  Branch  to  meet  some  of  the  dear  saints  and 
thence  to  New  York,  before  we  slept. 


182 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

"It  came  even  to  pass,  as  the  trumpeters  and  singers  as 
one,  to  make  one  sound  to  be  heard  in  praising  and  thanking 
the  Lord  .  .  .  that  then  the  house  was  filled  with  a  cloud, 
even  the  house  of  the  Lord,  so  that  the  priests  could  not  stand 
to  minister  by  reason  of  the  cloud  for  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
had  filled  the  house."  II  Chron..5:13,  14. 

In  the  Fall  of  1917,  when  we  were  passing 
through  Philadelphia  en  route  for  Florida,  it  was 
our  privilege  to  spend  two  days  with  the  dear 
saints  there  and  to  attend  meetings  then  being 
held  in  a  large  tent.  The  Lord  graciously  poured 
out  His  Spirit  upon  one  and  all,  and  when  scores 
of  saints  begged  us  to  come  back  for  a  series  of 
meetings,  the  Lord  witnessed  in  our  hearts  that 
this  was  of  Him,  and  after  much  prayer  and  cor- 
respondence, a  Nation  Wide  Camp  Meeting  was 
planned.  Father  told  me  to  pray  earnestly  for 
money  to  buy  a  big  Tabernacle  tent  which  would 
be  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  people.  A 
notice  was  inserted  in  the  Bridal  Call.  Friends 
rallied  and  offerings  came. 

The  problem  was:  Where  was  the  tent?  The 
government  had  commandeered  the  large  tent-mak- 
ing concerns,  and  even  though  the  Lord  assured  us 
that  He  had  the  right  tent  for  us,  and  would  de- 
liver on  time,  I  confess  that  we  were  anxious  as 
the  date  for  the  Nation  Wide  Camp  Meeting  ap- 
proached. 

Each  time  I  went  to  the  Lord  He  would  say : 

"It  is  all  right.  You  shall  have  your  tent,"  but 
in  the  meantime  my  letters  here  and  there  to  dif- 

183 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ferent  people  brought  no  hopes.  The  only  tent  that 
would  at  all  fit  my  requirements  was  in  New  York 
City  and  was  held  at  thirty-five  hundred  dollars, 
and  this  was  out  of  the  question.  Sometimes  the 
enemy  would  whisper : 

"You  have  taken  people's  money  for  the  tent, 
suppose  you  don't  get  that  big  tent,  what  are  you 
going  to  say  to  them?"  But  Jesus  said: 

"Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled." 

After  two  years'  experience,  I  had  my  own 
ideas  of  the  kind  of  tent  I  wanted,  its  size, 
shape,  seating  capacity,  texture,  and  make:  One 
that  would  shed  the  rain,  be  mildew-proof,  well 
roped  and  guyed,  arranged  with  block-and-tackle 
system  of  lowering  and  raising.  Where  could  such 
a  tent  be  purchased? 

When  we  arrived  in  the  city  of  our  summer's, 
work,  there  was  the  very  tent  of  my  dreams  and 
prayers,  in  an  attic  store-room  of  a  downtown 
building,  all  tied  up  in  bags,  poles  and  stakes 
complete,  ready  for  erection.  Hallelujah!  We 
went  to  look  at  it,  climbed  the  stairs,  and  as  we 
mounted  towards  the  sky,  our  hearts  mounted  also 
as  the  tent  was  described  to  us,  its  size  and 
material,  ten  ounce,  U.  S.  Army  duck,  double  fill 
and  double  twist,  double  stitched,  splendid  ropes, 
block  and  tackle,  etc.,  which  had  never  been 
erected,  worth  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  today, 
and  could  be  had  at  eighteen  hundred  cash,  but  I 
felt  that  fifteen  hundred  dollars  was  all  the  Lord 
wanted  us  to  pay  for  that  tent;  and  although  at 
first  they  \vould  not  accept  this,  as  the  man  stood 
in  the  door  and  read  the  sign,  "Judgment  day  is 
coming,  get  right  with  God,"  his  face  became 
thoughtful  and  he  said  he  would  let  us  know  later, 
and  of  course  Father  opened  the  way. 

This  tent  had  been  ordered  and  built  for  an  evan- 
gelist whom  God  was  using  blessedly  in  His  ser- 
vice. When  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was 

184 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

preached,  this  evangelist  refused  the  light,  took 
a  stand  against  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  and 
he  became  very  ill  for  months. 

The  tent,  which  God  meant  for  Pentecost,  re- 
mained brand  new  in  its  bags  at  the  tent-maker's 
office,  with  the  instructions  that  it  was  to  be  sold 
only  for  religious  purposes.  The  news  came  that 
we  could  have  it  for  fifteen  hundred  dollars, 
and  it  was  soon  up  and  packed,  with  throngs  of 
people  surrounding  it  drinking  in  the  message  of 
salvation  through  the  precious  blood,  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  soon  coming  of  Jesus. 

Had  this  tent  been  purchased  in  any  other  city 
it  is  very  improbable  that  we  would  have  been 
able  to  have  had  it  shipped  because  of  the  embargo 
which  at  that  time  paralyzed  freight  all  over  the 
country.  And  even  if  it  could  have  been  shipped 
it  would  have  been  necessary  to  have  had  it  sent 
by  express  as  the  time  was  so  short  and  the  deliv- 
ery charges  would  have  been  enormous,  so  our 
heavenly  Father  planned  it  all  out  and  had  the 
tent  right  in  the  very  city  where  the  meeting  was 
to  be  held. 

GLORY  OF  GOD  IN  CITY  OF  TENTS. 

The  beautiful  camp  grounds  were  situated  on 
a  hill,  near  the  river,  and  were  sheltered  by  high 
shade  trees.  Bows  and  rows  of  small  tents  were 
erected  in  squares  around  the  great  new  Gospel 
Tent  with  its  snow  white  canvas. 

The  dining  tents,  dormitories,  reading  and  rest 
tents  were  erected  and  soon  the  grounds  assumed 
the  appearance  of  a  well-ordered  camp.  The  lead- 
ers themselves  rolled  up  their  sleeves  and  helped 
Avith  a  good  will  for  the  future  comfort  of  others. 
Heavy  trucks  were  rolling  up  with  great  loads  of 
cots,  beds,  seats,  dishes,  camp  equipment,  but 
'midst  all  the  bustle  and  the  preparation  brothers 
and  sisters  alike  found  time  to  shout  and  praise 

185 


THIS  IS  THAT 


God.  The  trees  echoed  with  the  hallelujahs  of  the 
saints.  As  the  newcomers  arrived  they  in  turn 
rolled  up  their  sleeves  and  went  to  work.  Even  the 
night  before  the  camp  meeting  opened  the  glory 
of  God  seemed  to  rest  down  upon  the  place  as  we 
gathered  around  the  big  bonfire  to  play  and  sing 
and  worship  the  Lord  for  what  He  was  about  to 
do  in  our  midst. 

Note:  (The  following  is  a  report  which  appeared  in  the 
September  number  of  the  Bridal  Call,  1918.) 

The  picture  of  hundreds  of  saints  standing  upon 
their  feet  with  hands  lifted  toward  Heaven,  eyes 
closed,  and  their  upturned  faces  streaming  with 
tears  as  they  sing,  as  it  were,  a  new  song,  and 
heavenly  anthems  voiced  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
through  their  lips  in  wondrous  harmonic  chords 
of  love  and  thanksgiving,  is  a  never-to-be-forgotten 
sight,  and  resembles  much  the  conception  that  I 
have  always  had  of  what  it  must  be  to  be  in 
Heaven  before  the  throne  of  the  Most  High  God. 

Oh,  if  you  could  but  hear  them  pray,  pray  as 
never  I  have  heard  people  pray  before,  each  one 
forgetting  their  neighbor,  forgetting  all  else  but 
the  Lord  who  answers  prayer;  praying  out  aloud 
with  all  their  might,  hundreds  of  them  at  one 
time,  till  no  one  voice  can  be  distinguished  in 
the  midst,  for  they  are  all  blended  in  one  mighty 
heart  throb  of  love  and  desire  for  God  to  have  His 
way,  which  quickly  turns  into  -adoration,  and 
flows  forth  as  a  river  of  praise  straight  to  the 
throne  of  God.  Needless  to  say,  the  answer  usu- 
ally comes  before  the  prayer  is  finished. 

The  camp  presents  a  very  stirring  and  inspiring 
scene  every  night.  After  supper  in  the  dining  tent; 
the  people  move  out  to  prepare  for  the  evening 
meeting.  It  is  a  common  sight  to  see  a  little  group 
of  two  or  three  people  kneeling  down  in  the  paths, 
or  under  the  trees,  to  present  to  God  anything  that 
might  be  upon  their  hearts.  Then  as  the  evening 

186 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

shadows  lengthen,  lights  are  turned  on  in  the  great 
Tabernacle  Tent,  and.  the  saints  soon  fill  the  shin- 
ing interior.  Soon  the  night  air  resounds  with  the 
songs  and  the  praise  of  hearts  filled  to  overflowing 
with  the  love  of  God.  After  meeting  it  is  not  an 
uncommon  thing  to  hear  voices  in  supplication  and 
praise  continued  on  in  the  tents. 

The  night  preceding  this  writing  witnessed  a 
scene  that  melted  many  a  heart.  One  end  of  the 
large  ladies'  dormitory  tent  was  given  over  to  a 
children's  meeting,  and  there  the  little  tots  were 
used  in  a  wonderful  way  by  the  Spirit.  Many  a 
little  one  glorified  God,  speaking  in  other  tongues. 
A  number  of  parents  were  there  and  their  hearts 
just  welled  with  feeling  as  the  Holy  Spirit  worked 
upon  the  children.  It  was  a  meeting  never  to  be 
forgotten. 

GOD  LOCKS  THE  LION^S   MOUTHS. 

When  the  city  of  tents  was  first  erected  on  this 
beautiful  hill,  where  earth  and  Heaven  seem  to 
meet,  we  found  that  we  were  in  a  neighborhood 
which  was  seventy-five  per  cent  Roman  Catholic, 
with  institutions  and  colleges  near-by.  Gangs  of 
boys  patrolled  the  grounds  day  and  night,  keeping 
watch  on  everything  and  everybody,  feeling  great 
resentment  at  our  invasion  of  the  hill,  which  had 
been  their  special  property  since  they  could  first 
remember.  Then  when  the  meetings  opened  and 
the  power  of  God  began  to  fall,  and  there  was 
shouting,  dancing  and  many  prostrated,  the  whole 
community  was  stirred  to  its  depths.  They  had 
never  seen  it  after  that  fashion  before. 

The  next  night  an  enormous  crowd  filled  th£ 
tent  and  stood  all  around  the  outside.  Every  time 
that  there  would  be  a  manifestation  of  the  Spirit, 
they  would  burst  forth  into  peals  of  laughter, 
ridiculing  and  mocking.  As  an  altar  service  was 
attempted,  the  hoodlums  thronged  into  the  tent 

187 


THIS  IS  THAT 

in  a  body,  standing  over  the  seekers,  mocking  and 
jeering.  The  second  Monday,  night  arrived  with 
the  worst  crowd  that  we  had  seen  up  to  this  time. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  people  were  wild  with  anger,  and 
many  came  with  clubs  and  cudgels  in  their  hands. 
There  were  organized  gangs  with  leaders,  carrying 
whistles,  who  gave  signals  to  their  men.  Detectives 
afterwards  told  us  that  it  had  been  a  pre-arranged 
program  to  wipe  every  tent  off  the  ground  that 
night,  and  open  threats  had  been  made  to  this  end. 

The  devil  had  carefully  laid  his  plans.  A  riot* 
took  place  down  in  the  center  of  the  city  that 
night  between  the  white  and  colored;  there  were 
no  policemen  available  to  keep  order  at  the  camp 
meeting  grounds.  Back  and  forth,  to  and  fro,  the 
mob  surged  about  the  tents.  Speaking  was  impos- 
sible, and  all  we  could  do  was  to  sing  and  hang  on 
to  God.  "Rock  of  Ages,  Cleft  for  Me,"  "Nearer. 
My  God,  to  Thee,"  "It  is  Well  for  My  Soul," 
"Jesus,  O  How  Sweet  the  Name,"  were  among  the 
many  hymns  sung  by  the  saints,  as  we  all  kept  in 
the  spirit  of  prayer. 

The  meeting  was  dismissed  early,  without  any 
altar  service.  The  crowd  surged  through  the  tent 
and  over  the  grounds,  like  a  hive  of  hornets.  One 
policeman  finally  came  on  the  grounds,  but  he  was 
unable  to  cope  with  the  situation. 

The  Lord  seemed  to  lay  it  on  me  to  call  an  all 
night  of  prayer,  to  settle  this  matter  once  and  for 
all.  The  saints  readily  agreed  and  gathered  about 
me.  We  began  to  pray  one  after  another  for  the 
salvation  of  these  boys  and  men.  We  prayed  for 
a  revival ;  prayed  for  God  to  have  His  way. 

From  this  time  on  there  has  been  no  trouble  of 
any  kind  with  the  outside  people.  The  opposition 
has  melted  away  like  snow  before  the  summer  sun- 
shine. 

This  outside  trouble  brought  us  the  support  of 
the  different  clergymen.  One  Baptist  preacher 

188 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

stood  on  the  platform  and  gave  his  word  that  he 
would  stand  by  us  until  the  end.  Another  clergy; 
man  of  the  Episcopal  church  said  that  he  had  told 
his  boys  to  be  in  good  behavior,  and  that  if  they 
felt  a  desire  to  go  forward  for  salvation,  to  do  so. 
Church  members,  class  leaders,  and  ministers 
flock  to  us,  and  many  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
since  the  beginning  of  these  meetings. 

We  also  find  there  is  a  large  number  who 
have  no  church  home  whatever,  and  many  who 
have  never  been  to  church.  These  are  a  surprised 
and  interested  body  of  people  upon  whom  God  is 
also  moving  mightily.  Our  former  enemies  as 
well  as  our  friends,  are  now  asking  for  our  litera- 
ture, and  great  numbers  of  tracts  and  booklets  are 
being  given  away. 

The  policemen  who  are  used  to  handling  large 
crowds,  told  us  that  there  were  between  eight 
and  ten  thousand  people  on  the  grounds  Sunday 
night,  and  I  have  never  witnessed  better  order. 

Two  young  ladies  who  came  to  mock,  and  said 
it  was  a  shame  to  keep  people  lying  under  the 
power  as  we  did,  suddenly  began  to  weep,  crying 
loudly  for  salvation,  and  inside  of  fifteen  minutes 
were  on  their  backs  under  the  power,  speaking  in 
tongues  and  praising  God.  Another  young  lady 
came  to  mock,  and  after  the  altar  call  had  been 
given  some  time,  she  was  deeply  under  conviction 
and  approached  the  front.  This  power  struck  her 
suddenly  and  left  her  prostrate  on  the  straw  in 
front  of  the  altar.  She  was  saved,  and  in  a  very 
short  time  began  to  speak  in  such  a  clear  floAv  of 
tongues  that  many  remarked  about  it,  and  then 
she  gave  the  interpretation  and  was  filled  with  the 
glory  of  God. 

A  man  sprang  out  of  the  on-lookers,  and  de- 
manded that  his  child  should  be  given  to  him. 
He  was  invited  to  lay  his  hands  upon  her  if  he 
cared  to  take  her,  but  fear  filled  his  heart  and 

189 


THIS  IS  THAT 

he  went  away,  declaring  that  he  would  find  some- 
one who  would  take  her.  True  to  his  word,  he 
came  back  with  the  girPs  aunt.  She  took  the 
child  by  the  hand  roughly,  led  her  to  a  seat,  where 
she  spoke  sharply  to  her,  and  slapped  her  in  the 
face.  At  that  instant  the  power  of  God  struck  the 
aunt?  and  sent  her  reeling  to  the  floor.  Who  was 
she  that  she  could  withstand  God?  The  aunt  left 
the  meeting  with  the  hand  of  God  upon  her,  sup- 
ported by  two  of  her  friends,  and  the  last  that  we 
have  heard  about  her  is  that  she  is  very  ill  in  bed. 

A  traveling  salesman  who  witnessed  the  bap- 
tism of  this  young  lady,  came  out  with  a  declara; 
tion  that  now  he  had  no  doubt  that  this  was  the 
power  of  God,  and  that  he  would  begin  seeking  for 
the  same  experience. 

People  of  all  denominations  bring  their  sick  to 
be  prayed  for.  One  father  brought  his  little  child 
emaciated  and  suffering  from  a  weakness  of  the 
body  that  did  not  permit  of  its  walking.  The 
little  one  was  prayed  for,  and  when  he  was  placed 
upon  his  feet,  the  proud  joy  and  happiness  just 
shone  from  the  father's  face,  as  the  little  one  began 
to  take  steps  for  the  first  time  in  months. 

One  child  who  was  a  pitiful  sight  to  look  upon, 
with  a  terrible  skin  disease,  and  was  covered  with 
sores,  was  instantly  healed  by  the  power  of  Jesus. 

One  young  lady,  in  writing,  says :  "Saint  Vitu^ 
dance  and  severe  nervous  trouble  had  tortured  me 
for  many  months.  My  face  and  eyes  twitched  so 
that  I  was  ashamed  to  sit  in  a  meeting.  I  was 
prayed  for  and  the  demon  rebuked,  so  that  I  am 
every  whit  whole — no  twitching,  no  nervous 
trouble.  Oh  what  a  rest!  What  a  relief!  What 
a  Savior!" 

One  night  a  young  Polish  girl  ran  to  the  altar, 
and  it  was  but  a  short  time  when  she  sprang  to 
her  feet,  and  with  her  face  shining  with  glory, 
exclaimed : 

190 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

"I  am  so  happy,  I  have  got  it."  Later  she  re- 
ceived her  baptism  and  asked  permission  to  talk 
with  her  own  people  in  their  language  about  this 
glorious  Jesus  she  had  just  found.  Then  she 
told  in  English  the  same  story  while  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  filled  the  tent.  A  woman  who  lived  in  the 
neighborhood  who  had  come  to  look  on,  fell  under 
the  power  just  as  she  left  the  tent.  A  crowd  of 
onlookers  quickly  gathered,  and  her  son  took  her 
away,  but  the  Lord  had  done  the  work,  and  she 
exclaimed,  as  she  was  led  away :  "I  have  got  it." 

Sister  Elizabeth  Sisson,  of  New  London,  Conn., 
and  Brother  Cyrus  B.  Fockler,  of  Milwaukee,  ar- 
rived shortly  after  the  opening,  and  God  has  won- 
derfully used  their  messages  in  the  meetings. 

After  one  morning  service,  when  nearly  every- 
one had  gone  to  the  noon-time  meal,  a  little  girl 
of  twelve  lay  unnoticed  in  the  straw.  One  brother, 
however,  discerned  that  she  was  giving  messages 
and  interpreting  them.  He  moved  over  to  her, 
and  with  one  consent  others  followed,  and  in  the, 
silence  that  followed,  she  spake  in  tongues  and 
interpreted  messages  for  nearly  half  an  hour. 
Messages  of  exhortation,  warning  and  comfort, 
beautiful  in  their  construction  and  completeness, 
flowed  from  her  lips.  She  had  called  a  meeting. 

One  man  testified  that  God  had  given  him  2 
dream  the  night  before  in  which  the  little  children 
were  shocking  the  corn.  Truly  God  is  using  the 
little  ones  in  this  way. 

Another  little  tot  of  six  years,  suddenly  filled 
with  the  power,  began  to  dance  in  a  pretty,  child- 
ish way.  Sister  McPherson,  led  by  the  Spirit, 
placed  the  little  one  on  the  altar  rail,  and  for 
twenty  minutes  the  little  girl  preached  Jesus  to 
a  multitude  who  had  come  to  look  upon  God's 
work.  It  was  a  sight  never  to  be  forgotten  as 
the  sweet  little  face  shone  with  the  glory  of  God, 

191 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  her  childish  voice  called  sinners  to  know  this 
Jesus  whom  she  knew. 

Two  young  ladies,  one  a  Catholic,  one  a  Meth- 
odist, sat  scoffing,  and  pretending  to  be  greatly 
amused,  in  an  endeavor  to  hide  the  real  convic- 
tion that  was  in  their  hearts.  Someone  told  me 
I  ought  to  speak  to  them,  but  all  we  did  was  pray. 
They  seemed  to  become  more  quiet  after  that,  and 
I  had  forgotten  all  about  them  until,  while  pray- 
ing at  the  altar,  someone  came  and  said: 

"Sister,  there  are  two  young  ladies  over  there 
who  want  to  speak  to  you." 

Making  my  way  through  the  audience,  I  found 
the  same  two  girls  with  much  changed  county- 
nances.  All  laughter  was  gone,  their  eyes  were 
red  from  weeping,  and  in  response  to  my  invitation  : 

"Oh,  girls,  don't  you  want  to  get  right  with 
Jesus  tonight?  Won't  you  kneel  down,  confess 
your  sins,  and  give  Him  your  heart?"  They  fell 
off  the  chairs  on  their  knees,  and  began  to  pray 
and  cry  aloud: 

"Lord,  forgive  me.  God  be  merciful  to  me,  a 
sinner." 

Being  called  to  another  part  of  the  tent,  I, 
looked  around  for  someone  whom  I  might  ask  to 
pray  with  these  girls.  Near  to  me,  and  looking 
on  was  a  Methodist  class  leader  and  Sunday  School 
Superintendent,  with  wiiom  I  had  been  talking  but 
a  few  moments  ago,  and  who  had  come  to  investi- 
gate Pentecost  and  see  whether  there  was  any- 
thing in  all  this  shouting  and  speaking  in  tongues. 

"Brother,  you  come  over  and  help  pray  for  these 
dear  ones,  that  they  may  be  saved,"  we  asked. 
Without  hesitation  they  fell  on  their  knees  and 
began  praying  for  the  sobbing  young  women. 

How  I  wish  I  could  make  you  see  the  sight  that 
met  my  eyes  when  next  we  returned  to  this  side 
of  the  tent! 

192 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

AVhile  the  two  Methodist  brothers  had  been 
praying  with  their  eyes  shut,  the  power  had  come 
down  and  the  two  young  ladies  had  fallen  pros- 
trate under  the  power  and  were  receiving  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  beginning  to  speak 
with  other  tongues. 

The  little  group,  many  of  whom  were  sinners, 
that  stood  round  about  the  girls,  were  very  much 
impressed  with  the  power  and  the  vision  which 
the  girl  described,  and  as  we  sang  about  the  pre- 
cious blood  which  she  described,  even  the  Catholic 
policeman  lifted  his  hands  and  joined  in  the  song 
with  us. 

The  Spirit  impressed  me  to  ask  the  Methodist 
class  leader  to  close  in  prayer.  In  his  humble 
prayer,  he  said : 

"Oh,  Lord,  Jesus,  if  this  is  new  light  for  me 
in  these  last  days,  please  reveal  it  to  me  and  bap- 
tize me,  for  Jesus'  sake,  Amen." 

I  had  just  turned  to  go  into  the  big  tent  for  my 
Bible,  preparatory  to  leaving  for  my  own  tent, 
when  something  fell  with  a  thud  and  a  shout  to 
the  ground  behind  me,  and  all  the  people  began 
to  run  and  shout.  Hastening  back  to  see  what  it 
was,  I  found  this  same  Methodist  class  leader  lying 
on  his  back  under  the  power — no,  I  should  hardly 
say  on  his  back,  either,  for  he  was  really  just  on 
his  head  and  his  heels,  his  body  raised  up  from 
the  ground  by  the  power  and  his  feet  going  round 
and  round. 

Before  we  could  reach  him  he  was  shouting  in 
tongues  and  praising  the  Lord  as  the  Spirit  gave 
utterance.  After  a  time  he  bounded  to  his  feet 
and  went  around  the  tent  leaping  and  praising 
God. 

The  next  night  he  brought  nearly  a  dozen  from 
his  own  church,  and  said  that  his  son  who  was 
studying  to  be  a  missionary  to  South  America, 
was  going  to  seek  the  baptism. 

193 


THIS  IS  THAT 
NOTES  FROM  REPORT  BY  SISTER  P.   BENT. 

"Sunday  night  the  crowd  was  greater  than  we 
have  ever  seen.  There  must  have  been  thousands 
without  exaggeration  swarming  the  grounds.  The 
tent  was  so  packed  that  every  seat  was  filled; 
people  were  in  the  aisles,  sitting  on  the  platform 
floor,  and  stood  several  deep  around  the  Taber- 
nacle outside  the  canvas. 

"Sister  McPherson  had  a  mighty  message  from 
God,  fresh  from  the  throne,  in  which  she  gave  us 
a  short  glimpse  of  the  Bible  from  cover  to  cover, 
bringing  out  in  great  beauty  and  tenderness  the 
life  and  death  of  our  dear  Savior,  Jesus  Christ. 

"The  old  Gospel  story  was  not  told  in  vain,  but 
again  brought  scores  to  the  feet  of  the  Redeemer. 
Yes,  the  space  between  the  platform  and  congrega- 
tion was  so  crowded  with  men  and  women  seeking 
the  Lord  that  there  was  hardly  room  to  put  our 
two  feet  in  any  one  spot  at  a  time.  O,  it  was 
blessed  to  see  all  kinds  and  colors  at  the  feet  of 
the  same  Jesus.  We  shall  never  forget  that  lovely 
sight.  What  a  wondrous  salvation  we  have  to  offer 
to  this  sad,  sorrowing,  sinful  world  of  lost  and 
dissatisfied  men  and  women. 

"Monday  the  Spirit  was  so  mightily  demon- 
strated that  it  was  impossible  to  preach.  Several 
times  Brother  Fockler  endeavored  to  give  out  the 
Word,  but  there  was  message  after  message  in 
tongues,  with  interpretation  following.  The  Spirit 
then  fell  so  mightily  in  baptizing  and  anointing 
that  nothing  so  powerful  had  been  seen  since  the 
beginning  of  the  Camp. 

"At  the  evening  meeting  very  much  the  same 
thing  was  repeated,  when  scores  had  hands  laid 
on  them  for  service,  and  went  down  under  the 
power;  but  previous  to  that  Sister  McPherson  gave 
forth  one  of  the  most  convicting  sermons  we  have 
ever  heard  her  preach.  It  was  given  to  her  to  so 
vividly  show  the  sinner  the  meaning  of  an  end- 

194 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA.  i 

less  eternity  of  despair,  where  there  would  .never 
again  be  the  least  gleam  of  hope  to  brighten  the 
darkness,  that  many  were  made  to  feel  the  neces- 
sity of  being  prepared  to  stand  before  God. 

"O,  how  they  again  flocked  to  the  altar,  big, 
sound-minded  men  and  women,  realizing  the  awful- 
ness  of  eternity,  and  praise  God,  many  must  have 
found  the  Savior  from  sin  as  the  saving  power 
fell  all  around  us." 

No  coaxing  was  necessary  to  get  the  sinners  to 
come  to  the  altar.  Tt  was  not  an  uncommon  sight 
to  see  strong  men  literally  running  up  the  aisle 
with  tears  rolling  down  their  faces,  throwing  them- 
selves at  the  feet  of  Jesus  and  sobbing  for  mercy. 
There  are  saints  here  who  were  born  in  Italy,  Rus- 
sia, Lithuania,  Germany,  Sweden,  Poland,  Finland, 
Holland,  Canada,  Ireland,  England,  and  Egypt. 
All  have  come  to  glorify  the  name  of  Jesus. 

TESTIMONY. 

"I  have  been  brought  up  in  the  Catholic  church, 
and  when  I  heard  that  a  city  of  tents  was  being- 
erected  upon  the  hill  near  our  home,  and  that  the 
people  there  shouted,  danced,  fell  under  the  power, 
spoke  in  tongues,  etc.,  I  ran  all  the  way  to  the 
tabernacle  to  see  what  it  all  meant. 

"When  I  came  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  I  looked 
up  through  the  trees,  and  saw  the  tents  all  lighted 
up,  the  brass  band  was  playing;  the  cornets,  trom- 
bone, piccolo,  piano,  bass  and  snare  drum  and  tam- 
bourines were  all  playing  a  new  song  I  had  never 
heard.  This  song  I  now  sing,  'Victory.'  When  I 
reached  the  top  of  the  hill  I  could  see  over  the 
heads  of  the  crowd  many  people  dancing  and  jump- 
ing on  the  platform  and  in  the  audience.  At  the 
end  of  the  song  they  all  stood  on  their  feet  and 
shouted  and  shouted  and  sang  the  most  strange 
music,  which  I  have  since  learned  was  the  heavenly 
anthem  sung  in  the  Spirit. 

195 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"I  could  not  get  very  near  the  tent  on  account  of 
the  great  crowd,  so  I  asked  some  one  near  me : 

"'What  does  it  all  mean?  Are  these  people 
crazy?  What  are  they  dancing  and  shouting  over?' 

"The  gentleman  nodded  assent  and  said  yes,  he 
thought  they  must  be  all  crazy,  for  such  a  meet- 
ing and  such  noise  he  never  did  hear  the  equal  of 
in  his  life.  I  could  have  understood  it  if  one  or 
two  were  crazy,  but  how  could  so  many  be  out  of 
their  minds?  There  must  have  been  fifty  dancing 
and  five  hundred  shouting. 

"Just  then  I  had  an  opportunity  to  press  closer 
and  an  amazing  sight  met  my  eyes.  Clear  across 
the  width  of  the  tent  in  front  of  the  altar,  and  on 
the  platform  I  saw  men  on  one  side  of  the  tent 
and  women  on  the  other  side,  slain  prostrate  under 
this  mighty  power. 

"A  young  lady  near  me  was  crying,  great  tears 
rolling  down  her  face,  saying: 

"  <O !  Jesus,  save  me ;  forgive  the  past  and  I  will 
follow  thee  forever.'  In  a  few  moments  I  saw  her 
face  become  filled  with  joy,  and  she  fell  to  the 
straw  and  was  soon  speaking  in  tongues,  strange 
languages,  but  O !  so  clean  and  plain.  This  was 
going  on  all  about  in  the  front  of  the  tent,  weeping, 
singing,  shouting,  dancing,  while  I  looked  on  dum- 
founded.  Then  from  the  end  of  the  platform  where 
the  sick  were  being  prayed  for  came  several  people, 
dancing  and  shouting  that  they  were  healed.  , 

"One  man  who  had  been  lame  jumped  so  high, 
well  I  never  saw  anyone  jump  so  in  my  life,  shout- 
ing and  praising  God.  At  midnight  the  meeting 
was  still  going  on,  but  I  had  to  tear  myself  away. 

"The  next  night  found  me  there  again,  and  I 
cannot  stay  away;  I  have  been  saved  and  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  now,  and  am  O !  so  happy. 
I  am  laughed  at  I  know,  but  I  am  laughing,  too, 
I'm  so  happy." 

"For  years   I  have  been   an  earnest  Christian 

196 


NATION  WIDE  CAMP,  PHILADELPHIA. 

and  church  member,  but  always  felt  a  -lack  and 
longing  for  more  power  in  my  life.  When  this 
camp  meeting  came  to  our  neighborhood  I  heard 
the  testimonies  and  preaching  on  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  with  tongues.  I 
knew  this  was  what  I  needed,  the  Comforter.  I 
went  to  the  altar  and  began  to  seek. 

"The  sister  in  charge  came  to  me  and  told  me  to 
enter  through  the  gates  of  praise,  and  that  the 
day  I  sought  Him  with  my  whole  heart  He  would 
be  found  of  me.  I  began  to  praise  the  Lord  with 
all  my  heart,  and  as  she  laid  her  hands  upon  me 
and  prayed  she  passed  on,  but  I  fell  to  the  floor 
under  the  power  and  saw  a  great  angel  with  wide 
spread  wings  that  seemed  to  reach  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth.  Then  I  saw  Jesus  hanging  on  the  cross 
and  His  blood  streaming  down.  I  received  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  He  spoke  the  praises  of  Jesus  in 
other  tongues.  Hallelujah!  I  am  so  happy  I 
have  found  my  long- felt  need. 

"For  years  I  have  suffered  with  my  eyes;  have 
worn  heavy  glasses,  but  still  had  those  piercing 
pains  and  failing  sight.  I  was  prayed  for  in  this 
tent  three  days  ago,  was  perfectly  healed,  have 
thrown  my  glasses  away,  case  and  all,  and  can 
read  the  finest  print.  I  give  Jesus  all  the  glory." 


197 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

MEETINGS  FROM  MASS.  TO  NEW  YORK. 

"In  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and  in  the  evening 
withhold  not  thine  hand  .  .  .  for  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
ye  shall  not  have  gone  over  the  cities  of  Israel  till  the  Son 
of  man  be  come."  Ecc.  11:6;  Matt.  10:23. 

For  months  the  Lord  had  been  burning  the  mes- 
sage on  my  heart: 

"Go  out  quickly  into  the  highways  and  the 
hedges — go  into  the  out-of-the-way  places,  and  de- 
clare that  Jesus  is  coming  soon." 

California  rang  in  my  ears,  and  the  Lord  had 
been  speaking  to  us  for  some  time  about  making 
a  trans-continental,  tract  distributing-Gospel  auto 
tour/  The  Lord  had  led  us  so  definitely  in  the  past 
that  we  were  made  to  know  that  it  was  His  voice. 
My  husband,  who  had  attended  the  latter  part  of 
the  Nation  Wide  Camp  Meeting,  had  gone  to  Flor- 
ida again,  and  it  seemed  a  great  undertaking  for 
me  to  consider  driving  a  car,  which  had  been  used 
as  much  as  ours,  myself  on  such  a  long  trip. 

Putting  the  Lord  to  the  test,  I  asked  Him,  if  it 
was  His  will  for  me  to  make  this  trip  to  help  me 
to  get  a  new  and  more  powerful  car.  The  com- 
mittee who  had  handled  all  the  financial  end  of  the 
camp  meeting  said  that  though  the  offerings  had 
been  good,  expenses  were  so  high  that  there  was 
very  little  left  to  divide  amongst  the  numerous 
workers,  so  that  by  the  time  our  own  expenses 
were  paid  there  would  be  nothing  toward  the  car. 

When  I  mentioned  it  to  Mother  she  said :  "Well, 
ask  the  Lord  to  help  you  sell  the  old  car  at  a  good 
figure,  and  I  will  pay  the  balance." 

Needless  to  say,  I  lost  no  time  in  going  down 
the  street  to  see  about  it.  Inside  of  half  an  hour 

199 


THIS  IS  THAT 

I  had  sold  the  old  car  for  almost  as  much  as  I  had 
paid  for  it  in  the  beginning,  and  in  a  few  hours 
there  was  a  new  Gospel  Car  being  lettered  with  six 
inch  golden  letters  saying :  " Jesus  is  coming  soon, 
get  ready/7  and  "Where  will  you  spend  eternity?" 
Before  setting  out  for  California  a  chain  of 
meetings  was  held  from  Massachusetts  and  Conr 
necticut  to  New  York. 

LONG  HILL,  CONN., 

where  a  tent  had  been  erected  and  advertisements 
issued  for  a  week-end  meeting.  Saints  gathered 
in  from  the  towns  around  about  and  the  Lord 
bountifully  poured  out  His  Spirit  upon  us.  Some 
were  saved  and  several  received  the  baptism. 

Amongst  the  number  was  one  young  man  who 
had  been  seeking  for  years. 

MONTWAIT  CAMP 

Here  we  were  joined  by  our  dear  Sister,  Eliza- 
beth Sisson,  who  had  worked  so  faithfully  through 
the  Nation  Wide  Camp  Meeting  at  Philadelphia, 
and  she  traveled  with  us  throughout  this  entire 
chain  of  meetings,  blessedly  used  of  the  Lord. 

The  glory  of  the  Lord  came  down,  saints  were 
there  from  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Boston,  Con- 
necticut, New  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island,  and  many 
were  saved  and  baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
with  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  with  other 
tongues. 

WORCESTER,  MASS. 

A  three  day  convention  was  held  at  the  Pente- 
costal Mission  of  which  Elder  H.  T.  Carpenter  was 
in  charge,  and  as  the  saints  who  flocked  in  from 
out  of  town  lifted  their  voices  in  praise  with  the 
saints  of  Worcester  the  glory  of  the  Lord  came 
down  and  rested  upon  the  people  until  they  danced 
and  shouted  and  sang  under  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  The  Lord  saved  sinners  and  baptized 
believers. 

200 


MEETINGS  FROM  MASS.  TO  NEW  YORK 

UNITY  HALL,  HARTFORD,  CONN. 

The  saints  with  their  pastor,  Brother  N.  G.  Neil- 
son,  had  engaged  one  of  the  most  beautiful  halls  in 
the  city,  seating  some  seven  hundred.  The  Lord 
had  given  Brother  Neilson  the  promise  that  He 
would  pour  out  His  Spirit  in  this  meeting,  and 
praise  His  name,  He  kept  His  word.  God  bless- 
edly poured  out  His  Spirit,  and  at  some  meetings 
four  or  five  were  baptized  and  a  like  number  saved. 

HAELEM  CASINO,   NEW  YORK  CITY. 

(REPORT) 

In  New  York  we  found  that  Brother  and  Sister 
Vondrann's  faith  had  overstepped  the  limitations 
of  their  assembly  hall,  and  they  had  rented  the 
large  Harlem  Casino  for  the  five  principal  days  of 
the  Convention.  Brother  Vondrann  entertained 
us  in  the  Hotel  which  is  located  at  115th  Street 
and  Manhattan  Avenue.  The  Mt.  Olivet  Assembly 
Hall  is  located  on  the  ground  floor  of  this  build- 
ing, and  we  found  was  formerly  used  as  a  dance 
hall  and  card  room.  When  they  had  given  their 
hearts  to  Jesus  this  room  was  turned  over  for  His 
dear  service  for  the  salvation  of  souls  and  baptism 
of  believers.  Hallelujah! 

From  the  first  meeting  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
swept  down  and  filled  the  Assembly  Hall.  Brother 
and  Sister  Vondrann  entertained  the  saints  on  the 
free-will  offering  plan,  with  a  beautiful  and  simple 
faith.  They  later  assured  us  in  a  testimony,  after 
all  expenses  for  rental  of  Casino,  etc.,  had  been 
met,  that  when  they  opened  the  Convention  they 
had  exactly  the  sum  of  six  dollars  and  a  half  in 
the  treasury. 

There  could  not  have  been  a  better  location  for 
a  Pentecostal  Convention  in  New  York  City  than 
the  Harlem  Casino,  which  is  easy  of  access  by 
subway,  elevated,  surface  cars  and  busses.  The 
hall  seated  some  seven  hundred  people.  Sunday 

201 


THIS  IS  THAT 

afternoon,  October  6th,  when  the  meetings  opened 
in  the  Casino,  practically  every  seat  was  filled  and 
extra  chairs  were  brought  in,  while  the  glory  of 
God  fell  upon  each  saint. 

We  had  invitations  to  churches  in  the  city,  and 
spoke  at  the  business  men's  noonday  meeting  at 
John  Street  Methodist  Episcopal  church  daily. 
They  gave  us  liberty  to  preach  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  with  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in 
tongues,  and  as  this  meeting  was  largely  attended 
by  Christian  workers  and  ministers,  a  wide  area 
was  reached,  and  these  meetings  were  truly  as  a 
stone  dropped  in  calm  waters,  sending  ripples  far 
and  wide  in  all  directions. 

Amongst  the  number  receiving  the  baptism  on 
Sunday  afternoon  was  Mrs.  Emma  M.  Whittemore 
of  the  "Door  of  Hope'7  work,  well  known  the  world 
over  as  a  blessed  child  of  God  and  earnest  Chris- 
tian worker  of  years'  standing.  Truly  God  is  doing 
great  and  glorious  things  these  last  days. 

Different  nights  ten  and  twelve,  one  night  four- 
teen, came  forward  for  salvation. 

One  of  the  crowning  joys  of  the  New  York  con- 
vention came  when  the  wife  of  Pastor  W.  K.  Bou- 
ton  (who  had  been  seeking  earnestly  for  two  years, 
ever  since  the  power  fell  at  Corona),  fell  under  the 
power  on  the  platform  and  came  through  to  her 
baptism.  It  seemed  that  our  hearts  would  almost 
break  with  joy  as  we  knelt  beside  both  Brother 
and  Sister  Bouton  when  they  received  the  blessed 
Holy  Spirit.  Brother  Bouton  just  leaped  and 
danced  for  joy.  All  glory  to  Jesus ! 

One  Avoman  who  had  been  suffering  from  rheu- 
matism 'was  healed  instantly  and  danced  like  a 
young  girl.  Two  were  healed  of  this  awful  epi- 
demic which  is  going  round.  Many  were  healed 
from  other  troubles  and  afflictions,  for  which  we 
give  Jesus  all  the  glory  and  praise.  There  were  no 

202 


MEETINGS  FROM  MASS.  TO  NEW  YORK 

numbers  kept  of  those  saved  or  baptized,  but  we 
know  that  they  were  many,  praise  the  Lord. 

Thursday,  October  10th,  being  the  last  night  of 
the  meeting,  it  had  been  arranged  to  have  the 
young  folks  from  the  different  Pentecostal  assem- 
blies within  a  radius  of  thirty  miles  represented  in 
a  large  mass  meeting. 

Brother  Kobert  Brown,  of  42nd  St.,  was  chair- 
man for  this  part  of  the  service.  The  following 
assemblies  were  represented  by  a  song  or  an  "on 
fire"  testimony:  Glad  Tidings  Hall,  42nd  St.; 
Beulah  Heights  Assembly  of  New  Jersey,  Sister 
Kobinson's  Mission  of  Brooklyn,  The  Lighthouse 
Pentecostal  Assembly  of  Brooklyn,  Bethel  As- 
sembly, Tottenville,  New  Kochelle,  West  New 
Brighton,  Asbury  Park  and  Philadelphia. 

Brother  Vondrann,  representing  Mt.  Olivet,  said : 

"When  we  started  our  work  two  years  ago,  the 
Lord  baptized  my  wife  and  myself,  and  we  turned 
the  little  hall  which  had  been  used  as  a  dancing- 
hall  into  the  Lords'  work.  .•*,.  lv  Sister  McPher- 
son  leaves  us  tomorrow,  but  the  Lord  will  remain. 

"We  started  this  convention  with  $6.50,  but  the 
first  night  of  the  convention  brought  in  $182.00, 
and  my  expenses  were  $181.00.  Many  thought  the 
work  could  not  live  in  the  locality  where  our  as- 
sembly had  been  opened,  but  we  thank  God  that 
many  of  our  guests  have  been  saved  and  baptized 
in  our  hotel.  I  praise  God  for  the  work  wrought 
during  this  convention,  and  for  the  many  souls 
saved  and  baptized." 

Pastor  W.  K.  Boutou,  representing  Corona,  N. 
Y.,  said: 

"There  has  been  a  continuous  revival  in  our 
Corona  Church  since  1916.  You  often  hear  people 
say  that  Pentecostal  people  are  narrow-minded. 
That  is  not  true,  for  wherever  there  is  the  baptism 
you  will  find  a  people  that  are  seeking  the  salva- 
tion of  souls.  I  want  to  say  that  Ave  thank  God 

203 


THIS  IS  THAT 

He  ever  sent  Sister  McPherson  to  Corona.  It  is 
our  desire  to  ever  lift  up  the  blood-stained  banner 
of  the  cross.  It  is  still  floating  at  the  mast  i  i 
spite  of  all  opposition.  Though  Satan  has  emptied 
as  it  were,  the  whole  battery  of  hell,  God's  work  is 
still  going  on." 

Brother  Brown,  in  his  closing  remarks,  said : 
"I  can  speak  for  all  the  assemblies  and  say  that 
our  hearts  are  glad  when  the  Evangelist  comes 
along.  God  has  set  them  in  the  church,  and  I  am 
sure  that  all  of  the  assemblies  here  are  glad  that 
our  Sister  has  come.  I  pray  that  God  Almighty 
will  help  every  man,  woman,  and  child  that  they 
may  get  ready  to  meet  Jesus  tonight." 

At  the  close  of  the  sermon  many  sinners  arose 
to  their  feet  and  leaving  their  seats  went  to  the 
altar  and  surrendered  to  Jesus.  A  double  row  of 
seekers  lined  the  entire  front  of  the  hall,  several 
received  the  baptism  and  others  Avere  healed.  "The 
New  York  Convention  will  be  a  bright  spot  to  be 
treasured  and  remembered  until  Jesus  comes,  for 
its  many  bright  conversions,  souls  baptized,  and 
precious  fellowship  of  the  saints." 

NEW  ROCHELLE,   X.   Y. 

During  the  eight  days  Ave  Avere  there  not  one 
discordant  note,  or  one  unkind  Avord  or  criticism, 
or  tale-bearing  did  Ave  meet,  just  Jesus  and  His 
praises  seemed  to  occupy  everyone.  Before  the 
first  day  was  well  opened  every  seat  Avas  full  and 
saints  Avere  sitting  on  the  floor  of  the  platform  and 
standing  in  the  aisles,  but  no  one  minded  in  the 
least,  and  the  power  came  doAATn  in  streams  as  they 
sang  the  heavenly  anthem  and  played  in  the 
Spirit,  etc. 

As  the  meetings  progressed  many  were  saved 
and  baptized,  many  bodies  were  healed  and  the 
last  day  found  the  church  packed  to  the  doors 
again  and  eATen  the  ante-room  filled. 

204 


MEETINGS  FROM  MASS.  TO  NEW  YORK 

The  influenza  epidemic  was  raging  in  this  city 
as  elsewhere,  but  the  Lord  was  marvelously  good 
to  us  and  did  not  permit  us  to  be  hindered  for  a 
moment  in  proclaiming  the  message.  Churches 
were  closed  up  in  cities  just  after  we  had  left, 
opened  in  other  towns  just  before  we  got  there,  but 
not  a  meeting  was  closed  at  a  time  when  it  would 
hinder  the  carrying  out  of  the  program  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  had  mapped  out  for  us. 

In  New  Eochelle  I  was  stricken  with  this  disease 
Saturday  night,  but  the  Lord  kept  me  up  for  the 
three  services  on  Sunday.  Sunday  night  I  was 
taken  with  violent  chills  followed  by  high  fever, 
but  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  the  saints  and 
a  determined  rising  up  in  simple  faith,  the  Lord 
enabled  me  to  complete  the  week's  meetings  so  that 
I  lost  only  one  whole  meeting. 

I  went  through  a  severe  test,  however,  when  my 
little  daughter  took  the  epidemic  which  quickly 
turned  into  double  pneumonia.  For  two  days  it 
seemed  the  dear  little  life  which  meant  so  much 
to  me  must  pass  on  and  be  with  Jesus. 

Saints  gathered  to  pray  for  her,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  keep  on  preaching  in  spite  of  the  lump 
in  my  throat  and  the  weight  on  my  heart.  She 
had  come  to  me  in  the  Harlem  Casino  and 
whispered : 

"Mamma,  may  I  please  give  my  testimony  to- 
night?" I  told  her,  "Yes,"  and  she  stood  on  the 
platform  and  testified,  saying: 

"I  thank  the  Lord  for  ever  saving  me  and  wash- 
ing me  in  the  blood,  putting  upon  me  the  white 
robes  of  righteousness.  Two  years  ago  He  bap- 
tized me  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  spoke  through  me  in- 
other  tongues,  and  I  am  going  all  the  way  through 
with  Jesus  till  I  meet  Him  in  the  clouds." 

Staying  in  the  furnished  rooms  without  heat  or 
home  comforts,  I  yearned  for  a  little  home  where 

205 


THIS  IS  THAT 

I  could  care  for  her  properly,  and  I  remembered 
how  before  becoming  unconscious  she  had  said : 

"Oh,  Mamma,  I  do  wish  we  had  a  little  home 
where  I  could  go  to  school."  I  had  said: 

"Darling,  would  you  want  Mamma  to  leave  work 
and  try  to  get  a  little  home  together?"  She  said: 

"Oh,  no,  Mamma,  I  don't  want  you  to  leave  the 
work;  I  will  try  to  teach  myself."  Dear  little 
lamb ! 

One  afternoon  someone  met  me  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs  and  whispered  that  Eoberta  was  very  low. 
I  could  not  bear  to  stay  and  look  upon  her;  I  fell 
upon  the  floor  and  prayed  God  to  spare  her  life, 
and  the  Lord  gave  me  assurance  that  He  would 
not  only  raise  her  up  but  also  poured  balm  upon 
my  troubled  heart  by  saying: 

"I  will  give  you  a  little  home — a  nest  for  your 
babies — out  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  they 
can  play  and  be  happy  and  go  to  school  and  have 
the  home  surroundings  of  other  children.  You 
fixed  a  home  once  before  out  of  My  will,  and  it  was 
taken  away;  now  I  will  give  you  a  home  in  My 
will." 

He  showed  me  Abraham  withholding  not  his 
only  son,  Isaac,  laying  him  upon  the  altar  of  sacri- 
fice and  being  spared  the  agony  of  seeing  him  die; 
then  He  showed  me  that  I  had  yielded  up  not  only 
one  but  my  two  children,  had  traveled  these  many 
months  with  them  from  city  to  city,  and  town  to 
town,  having  no  home  or  bed  to  tuck  them  into, 
and  that,  just  as  He  spared  Abraham  his  Isaac,  He 
would  spare  me  my  two  children  and  cause  me  to 
joy  in  His  tender  care. 

It  was  all  so  real  to  me  that  I  could  almost  see 
the  little  bungalow,  floors,  garden  and  all. 

Brothers  Brown  and  Thompson  laid  hands  upon 
Roberta,  prayed  for  her,  and  the  Lord  touched  her 
body.  She  soon  opened  her  eyes,  and  though  very 
weak,  knew  us  all  and  was  able  to  smile  again.  I 

206 


MEETINGS  FROM  MASS.  TO  NEW  YORK 

kneeled  down  and  putting  my  lips  close  to  her, 
ear  whispered: 

"Oh,  Roberta,  God  has  told  Mamma  that  He  is 
going  to  give  us  a  little  home,  where  you  can  have 
flowers  and  roses  and  go  to  school." 

Her  face  lighted  and  she  answered  back  in  a 
thin  little  voice:  "Mamma,  can  I  have  a  canary, 
too?"  And  little  Rolf,  who  was  listening,  said: 
"Can  I  have  some  rose  bushes  and  a  garden?" 

Through  all  the  weeks  that  followed  and  the 
four  thousand  mile  drive,  the  little  children  talked 
and  planned  what  they  would  do  when  God  gave 
them  the  little  bungalow.  Sometimes  the  enemy 
sought  to  test  me,  and  said : 

"Now,  it  is  an  awful  thing  for  you  to  build  these 
children's  hopes  up  like  this.  What  if  you  should 
be  disappointed?"  But  Father  does  not  disap- 
point nor  break  His  Word.  Praise  His  name ! 


207 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  TKANS-CONTINENTAL  GOSPEL  TOUR. 

"And  the  Lord  said  unto  the  servant,  Go  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  hedges,  and  compel  them  to  come  in,  that  my  house 
may  be  filled."  Lu.  14:23. 

Pastor  S.  A.  Jamieson  of  Tulsa,  Okla.,  had  been 
writing  us  regarding  our  going  to  Tulsa  to  conduct 
an  evangelistic  campaign  and  the  Lord  had  given 
us  a  definite  witness  that  we  were  to  go. 

Just  as  we  were  about  to  start  out,  however,  in 
the  Gospel  Car,  a  telegram  arrived,  saying: 

"Postpone  coming.  All  churches  closed  and  it 
is  not  safe  for  you  to  be  abroad  in  the  land." 

Going  to  the  Lord  about  the  matter,  He  spoke 
plainly  to  me : 

"Fear  not,  do  not  lose  a  single  day.  Go  at  once, 
and  the  day  you  arrive  the  ban  will  be  lifted  and 
the  churches  will  be  open." 

(NOTES  FROM  THE  LOG.) 

At  nine  o'clock  this  morning  the  last  snap  was 
closed,  the  last  strap  fastened,  the  baggage,  and 
the  Gosp-el,  testimonies  and  tracts  in  place,  the  last 
"Good-byes"  and  "God  bless  you's"  said,  and  the 
motor  purred  softly,  (every  greasecup  had  been 
filled,  the  tires  tested  and  the  gasoline  tank  filled ) , 
and  the  car  rolled  away  as  quietly  and  efficiently 
as  though  it  knew  that  we  had  been  preparing  for 
this  trip  for  days,  and  that  the  hands  of  many 
saints  had  been  laid  upon  it  in  solemn  prayer  and 
dedication.  It  seemed  to  realize  what  was  expected 
of  it  on  the  long  trip  ahead,  and  importance  of  its 
mission,  that  of  being  a  worthy  herald  of  the  great 
message  of  love.  It  seemed  as  though  both  our 

209 


THIS  IS  THAT 

hearts  were  beating  in  unison  with  the  thought  of 
the  great  opportunity  which  had  come  into  its  life 
and  mine. 

From  our  starting  point  at  115th  Street,  we 
went  along  7th  Avenue  to  10th  Street,  and  from 
thence  turned  into  Riverside  Drive.  A  big  police- 
man, who  was  leisurely  directing  the  traffic,  caught 
sight  of  the  Gospel  Car,  and  said  in  a  loud  voice: 

"'Where  will  you  spend  Eternity?'  Well!! 
what  do  you  know  about  that?'7  And  as  we  smiled 
to  ourselves  we  could  not  help  thinking  that  if  he 
were  going  to  preach  to  fashionable  Riverside 
Drive,  he  could  not  have  selected  a  better  text. 

Crossing  to  Staten  Island,  thence  to  New  Jer- 
sey, we  gave  out  our  tracts  on  the  boats,  at  the 
ticket  offices  and  to  the  passers-by. 

Five  hours'  run  brought  us  to  Philadelphia, 
where  we  rejoiced  at  meeting  the  dear  saints  again. 
After  attending  to  freight  to  be  shipped  to  Cali- 
fornia, we  crossed  to  Camden,  N.  J.,  Avhere  Sister 
Dr.  Sharp,  had  her  beautiful  bungalow  open  and 
warmed  to  receive  us. 

After  the  illness  of  my  little  daughter,  Roberta^ 
and  myself,  and  the  hundred-mile  drive  of  the  day, 
the  warmth  and  the  light  and  love  and  hospitality 
extended  to  us  in  this  home  made  it  a  veritable 
haven  of  rest. 

GETTYSBURG,  PA.,  OCT.  26. 

Glory  to  Jesus!  Gospel  Car  has  left  a  trail  of 
tracts  one  hundred  and  -twenty  miles  long.  How 
hungry  the  people  are!  The  searching  questions 
regarding  salvation  and  our  teaching,  that  they 
ask,  reveal  the  longing  in  their  hearts.  At  Lan- 
caster, by  congested  traffic,  the  Lord  held  us  ten 
minutes  in  the  main  street,  during  which  time 
scores  of  men  and  women  pressed  about  the  car, 
reading  the  signs  and  asking  for  literature. 

210 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

On  through  Mountville,  York  and  New  Oxford, 
passing  the  famous  battlefields  and  reached  Gettys- 
burg in  time  to  find  the  streets  filled  with  soldiers 
who  were  off  duty,  and  had  a  golden  opportun- 
ity for  tract  distribution.  We  are  now  camp- 
ing by  the  roadside,  near  the  Allegheny  Mountains. 

PITTSBURG,  PA.,  OCT.  27. 
The  tracts  which  we  have  been  constantly  dis- 
tributing today  reach  back  as  a  white  thread  for 
one  hundred .  seventy-five  miles.  We  have  been 
climbing  the  Allegheny  Mountains  all  day.  At 
noon  we  reached  Tuscarora  Summit,  at  an  altitude 
of  2240  feet,  and  are  now  outside  of  Pittsburgh. 
We  have  pitched  our  camp  by  the  side  of  the  main 
highway,  on  the  property  of  Mr.  Carnegie,  the. 
great  steel  magnate,  and  though  doubtless  he  is 
unaware  that  he  has  guests  tonight,  the  Lord 
directed  us  to  this  spot  to  camp.  Today  being 
Sunday  we  have  had  the  most  wonderful  oppor- 
tunity of  distributing  our  literature  to  church 
members  and  thoughtful,  energetic  Christian  peo- 
ple. No  engine  trouble,  no  tire  trouble. 

CLAYSVILLE,  PA.,  OCT.  28. 
Not  nearly  so  much  mileage  today,  but  bless 
the  Lord,  we  have  been  very  busy  for  Him.  You 
remember  that  the  Lord  led  us  to  camp  right 
by  the  main  highway,  instead  of  seeking  a  more 
secluded  spot.  Bless  the  Lord !  As  we  were  break- 
ing camp  this  morning,  we  heard  a  rumbling  that 
sounded  like  the  coming  of  an  army,  and  lifting 
our  eyes  we  saw  great  long  lines  of  camouflaged 
government  auto  trucks  coming  down  the  road, 
laden  with  soldiers  and  material.  With  "Gospels" 
and  tracts  I  ran  to  the  road.  The  Lord  put  it  in 
their  hearts,  too,  for  without  exception,  every  car 
paused  and  the  soldiers  reached  for  the  Gospels 
and  tracts,  thanking  us  and  promising  to  read 

211 


THIS  IS  THAT 

them,  and  suiting  the  action  to  the  Avord,  began  at 
once  to  read  aloud  to  their  companions. 

In  Pittsburgh  we  have  been  busy  for  the  Master. 
Have  had  bad  road,  mud  and  detours  today,  and 
ahead  of  us  tomorrow,  but  the  Lord  has  taken 
wonderful  care  of  us,  and  no  accident  has  resulted. 

Passing  through  Cecil  and  Claysville,  through 
the  great  coal-mining  section,  just  as  the  men 
were  coming  up  out  of  the  dark  underground, 
their  faces  besmeared  with  coal  and  grime,  the 
electric  lights  which  they  had  usedt  in  their  toil 
below  still  burning  in  their  caps,  we  were  privi- 
leged to  speak  and  witness  for  Jesus,  leaving  them 
the  tracts  and  literature. 

COLUMBUS,  OHIO,   OCT.  29. 

This  morning  we  started  out  over  the  very  bad 
roads  which  the  residents  of  neighboring  towns 
had  warned  us  of,  lost  our  way,  and  came  on  to  a 
very  dangerous  mountain  pass.  One  place  there 
was  just  room  for  the  Avheels  of  the  car  to  pass.  A 
sheer  cliff,  hundreds  of  feet  deep,  yawned  below  us 
and  rocks  hung  out  above  us,  but  angels  seemed 
to  hold  the  car  to  the  road  even  though  it  was  wet 
and  slippery.  We  stopped  to  inquire  of  a  man  the 
way.  He  set  us  right.  The  Lord  gave  us  the  wit- 
ness that  He  had  sent  us  this  road  to  reach  this 
man,  for  when  we  gave  him  our  message  and  lit-* 
erature,  he  brightened  and  told  us  of  their  church 
on  the  hill  and  that  the  parson  would  be  powerful 
glad  "to  know  of  the  Latter  Rain."  The  Lord 
took  us  through  all  the  mire  and  the  mud  without 
trouble  or  skidding  where  dozens  of  cars  had  been 
stuck  in  the  mud  and  had  been  hauled  out  with 
horses  at  great  expense  and  labor.  We  feel  per- 
fectly conscious  all  the  time  of  a  guard  of  angels 
that  are  traveling  beside  the  car,  protecting  it. 

On  to  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  and  then  to  Zanesville, 
Ohio,  and  tonight  we  are  camping  by  the  roadside 

212 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

in  a  beautiful  sheltered  spot  outside  of  Columbus, 
O.  Usually  the  little  brooks  and  streams  serve  as 
our  wash-basins,  but  here  we  have  two  barrels  of 
rain  water,  which  stand  beside  a  closed  summer 
cottage.  We  are  trusting  to  be  refreshed  and 
rested. 

INDIANAPOLIS,    IND.,    OCT.   30-31st. 

For  years  I  have  been  longing  to  meet  Sister 
Etter,  and  have  been  talking  about  it  more  in  re- 
cent months.  I  have  longed  to  hear  her  preach  and 
be  at  her  meetings.  AVe  have  inquired  of  those  who 
have  read  the  newspapers,  however,  and  they  say 
that  the  ban  is  not  lifted. 

Blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  forever  and  for- 
ever. Oh,  how  good  He  is  to  give  us  the  desires  of 
our  hearts.  We  have  traveled  some  two  hundred 
miles  today,  and  still  found  time  to  distribute  the 
literature  to  many  people,  also  leaving  it  in  the 
R.  F.  D.  mail  boxes. 

Through  Springfield,  O.,  thence  to  Richmond, 
Ind.,  and  we  are  now  in  a  comfortable  room  in 
Indianapolis.  Hallelujah!  What  a  luxury  it 
seems !  How  good  God  is !  Let  me  tell  you  the 
marvelous  thing  He  has  done.  Well,  there  was  a 
special  meeting  of  the  officials  of  Indianapolis 
yesterday,  and  they  decided  to  lift  the  ban  at  mid- 
night tonight,  this  being  just  an  hour  and  a  half 
after  we  arrived.  Tomorrow  Mrs.  Etter's  taber- 
nacle will  be  open  and  I  will  have  the  desire  of  my 
heart.  Glory ! 

A  day  of  rest  and  praise.  Called  upon  Mrs. 
Etter,  and  attended  the  meeting  in  her  tabernacle 
tonight.  We  rejoiced  and  praised  the  Lord  to- 
gether. The  power  of  God  fell;  even  though  there 
were  only  a  very  few  at  the  meeting,  the  Lord  was 
there  showering  His  blessings  upon  us.  Tomorrow, 
we  proceed  on  our  journey.  The  command  of  the 
Master  to  go  into  the  highways  and  hedges  is  being 

213 


THIS  IS  THAT 

literally  fulfilled.  From  New  York  to  Philadelphia 
we  followed  the  "Lincoln  Highway,"  from  Philadel- 
phia to  Indianapolis  the  "National  Highway"; 
tomorrow  we  turn  into  "Pike's  Peak  Ocean  to 
Ocean  Highway/7  thence  into  the  "Big  Four  High- 
way" for  Kansas  City. 

TUSCOLA,  NOV.  1. 

Have  had  a  glorious  day  for  Jesus,  witnessed 
and  gave  out  literature  for  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles.  We  are  now  passing  through  prairie 
farms  and  the  great  wheat  section.  We  are  now 
camping  under  the  trees.  It  is  very  cold  and 
frosty,  but  God  is  protecting  each  member  of  the 
party,  that  none  shall  suffer  or  take  cold. 

SPRINGFIELD,  ILL.,  NOV.  2. 

Only  eighty-seven  miles  today,  for  shortly  after 
noon  we  reached  Springfield  and  the  home  of  our 
dear  Sister  Osten,  who  in  loving  hospitality  held 
us  for  the  balance  of  the  day;  meetings  in  her 
parlor  tonight,  and  will  send  us  on  our  way  in  the 
morning  refreshed,  rested  and  fed,  our  lunch  box 
packed  with  victuals  for  the  journey.  Hallelujah ! 

We  are  burdened  for  this  beautiful  city,  the 
capital  of  the  state,  with  no  Pentecostal  Assembly 
and  only  these  dear  ones  holding  up  a  little  gleam 
of  light  in  their  parlor.  They  tell  us  they  know  of 
no  assembly  for  a  radius  of  one  hundred  miles. 
How  we  long  to  stop  over  to  tell  the  people  the 
burning  message  of  the  hour. 

BARRY,  ILL.,  NOV.  3. 

Just  eighty-three  miles  today,  but  Oh,  the  op- 
portunity for  distributing  Gospels  and  tracts,  and 
witnessing  for  the  Lord  has  been  glorious.  Several 
young  men,  who  received  the  Gospels  eagerly,  told 
us  that  they  had  never  had  a  Bible  in  their  lives. 

Today  a  long  funeral  procession  passed  the  Gos- 

214 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

pel  Car,  and  almost  all,  from  the  driver  of  the 
hearse  to  the  mourners  lifted  heavy  black  vails 
and  pressed  close  to  the  windows,  read  aloud, 
"Jesus  is  coming  soon,  get  ready." 

We  are  camping  tonight  by  a  wonderful  spring 
of  water  that  flows  ceaselessly  from  a  great  high 
rock.  Farmers  come  from  miles  around,  bringing 
their  tanks  and  vats  to  be  filled  from  its  flow. 
Questioning  them  as  we  gave  out  tracts,  we  learn 
that  all  of  their  cisterns  are  dry  from  the  long 
drought  and  this  water  from  the  rock  is  their  only 
supply.  What  a  privilege  to  witness  for  Jesus,  the 
rock  from  whose  riven  side  flows  the  water  of  life 
that  never  runs  dry. 

MACON,  MO.,  NOV.  4. 

The  Gospel  Car  has  witnessed  and  given  out  lit- 
erature today  for  one  hundred  miles.  Oh !  that  you 
could  see  the  expressions  in  the  people's  faces. 
Some  look  with  horror,  startled  fear,  some,  with 
skepticism,  spit  on  the  sidewalk  and  say  they  "do 
not  believe  it."  On  others  belief  is  written  and 
eager  longing  to  hear  more  about  it.  Some  say, 
"Well,  this  is  just  exactly  what  I  have  been  think- 
ing, that  this  war,  and  all  these  plagues  must  be  a 
sign  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Lady,  give  us  some 
literature." 

Crossing  the  Mississippi  River  into  Hannibal, 
people  from  almost  every  walk  of  life  gathered 
about  the  car,  insomuch  that  as  we  stopped  for 
dinner,  one  of  the  party  stayed  in  the  car  to  dis- 
pense literature  and  witness  and  answer  questions. 
A  saloon-keeper,  a  policeman,  a  traveling  sales- 
man, storekeepers,  church  members,  a  holiness 
lady,  and  many  others,  gathered  about  to  ask  ques- 
tions and  receive  literature.  The  saloon-keeper 
was  much  in  earnest  and  we  are  praying  for  his 
salvation.  Eternity  alone  will  reveal  the  fruit- 
bearing  of  the  seed  sown  on  this  trip.  Hallelujah ! 

215 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Traveled  until  late — and  the  night  being  raw  and 
cold — we  paused  on  a  lonely  square,  wondering 
where  to  sleep.  A  gentleman  seeing  the  car  volun- 
teered information,  and  we  learned  this  was  the 
Mayor  of  the  town.  So  sorry  we  forgot  to  give 
him  the  literature. 

BKAYMER,  MO.,  NOV.  5, 

At  the  restaurant  this  morning,  watching  at  the 
window  the  people  who  walked  around  the  car, 
commenting  upon  its  signs  and  wondering  "What 
meanefh  this,"  one  dear  old  colored  brother  was 
so  interested  that  he  couldn't  leave  the  car  until 
we  returned,  and  was  delighted  with  the  Bridal 
Call  and  papers,  saying : 

"Ah's  often  he'ad  of.dese  heah  Pentecos'  people, 
but  Ah's  nevah  saw  any  befo'.  Ah  sho?  am  glad 
to  get  dez  heah  papahs."  , 

As  we  were  about  to  leave  the  mayor  came  up 
again.  Surely  the  Lord  sent  him  to  get  his  papers. 
He  helped  to  tie  a  rope  and  spoke  encouragingly 
of  our  work,  and  received  the  literature  we  gave 
him,  gladly.  Oh !  Lord,  work  wonders  in  these 
dear  hearts,  we  pray  Thee. 

Hoped  to  have  made  more  mileage  today,  but  are 
detained  here  in  Braymer  for  some  adjustments  on 
the  car. 

OLATHE,   KAN.,   NOV.   6. 

We  realized  this  morning  that  "all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  the  Lord  and 
are  the  called  according  to  His  purpose."  Our 
delay  of  yesterday  caused  us  to  pass  through  the 
little  town  of  Polo,  Mo.,  by  daylight,  whereas  we 
would  otherwise  have  passed  through  unobserved  in 
the  darkness.  As  we  passed  through  this  town, 
we  turned  and  drew  up  at  the  filling  station.  The 
people  trooped  after  us  down  the  streets,  came  out 
of  the  stores  and  houses,  and  crowding  around  the 
car,  almost  made  us  gasp.  They  kept  us  busy  giv- 

216 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR  » 

•• 

ing  out  literature  and  answering  their  many  ques- 
tions about  Jesus  and  our  teaching. 

One  young  man  said  that  his  mother  saw  the 
signs  on  the  car  out  of  the  window  and  told  him 
to  run  until  he  caught  that  car,  and  bring  her  some 
of  those  tracts  that  we  were  dropping  by  the  way- 
side, and  asked  us  to  give  him  one  of  every  kind 
we  had. 

NoAvhere  on  our  trip  have  we  met  with  a  more 
enthusiastic  welcome.  So  eager  were  the  people 
here  that  the}^  seemed  ready  to  search  the  whole 
car,  and  dissect  all  the  pockets  in  the  doors,  and 
the  boxes  before  they  would  be  denied.  Cries  of 
"These  are  the  Pentecostal  people  that  speak  in 
tongues.  I  have  heard  about  them  and  I  Avant  to 
read  about  them,"  came  from  every  side  of  the  car. 

One  dear  lady  with  quivering  face,  listened  as 
we  were  praising  the  Lord,  and  then,  catching  hold 
of  my  hand,  said : 

"Oh,  tell  me  how  to  get  the  baptism.  I  have 
read  the  Pentecostal  literature  before."  She  knew 
of  Sister  Sisson,  Sister  Etter  and  others,  but  asked 
if  Brother  Simpson  upheld  this  way  of  receiving 
the  Holy  Ghost.  She  went  away  laden  with  liter- 
ature, exclaiming: 

"Oh,  what  a  feast  I  am  going  to  have  today!  I 
am  going  to  sit  down  and  read  every  word." 

One  man  came  running  up  to  the  car,  telling  us 
he  wanted  some  of  these  papers  for  a  boy  who  was 
going  to  Avar  the  next  day  and  Avas  not  saved. 

On  to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  thence  on  to  Olathe, 
Kan.,  Avhere  we  are  spending  the  night. 


OLATHE,  KAN.,  NOV.  7. 

Detained  by  rain  today,  but  have  had  a  quiet 
time  of  prayer  and  spiritual  refreshing. 

217 


THIS  IS  THAT 

IOLA,  KAN.,  NOV.  8. 

Have  made  one  hundred  seven  miles  today 
through  muddy  roads.  Great  interest  is  manifested 
in  the  Gospel  Car;  the  editor  of  the  daily  paper 
asked  an  interview  that  he  might  write  it  for  his 
paper,  and  gladly  received  the  tracts,  Bridal  Call 
and  booklets,  assuring  us  that  he  Avould  be  quite  an 
authority  on  the  subject  by  the  time  he  had  read 
them  all,  but  promising  to  do  so,  nevertheless. 

OOLOGAH,  OKLA.,  NOV.  9. 

One  hundred  and  nineteen  miles'  traveling  lands 
in  Oologah,  Okla.  We  are  passing  through  great 
stretches  of  prairie  country  filled  with  oil  Avells, 
and  nearing  our  destination,  we  are  tarrying  for 
the  night  instead  of  pressing  on  to  Tulsa,  because 
of  the  swollen  condition  of  the  river,  which  is 
flowing  over  the  road  we  must  take.  The  Lord  has 
promised,  however,  that  when  we  pass  through  the 
waters  He  will  be  with  us,  and  through  the  rivers 
they  shall  not  overflow  us. 

TULSA,  OKLAHOMA,  SUNDAY,  NOV.  10. 

Hallelujah!  The  Lord  took  us  through  the 
swollen  river  bottom  without  mishap.  Surely  He 
has  given  His  angels  charge  over  us  to  bear  us  up 
lest  even  our  tires  dash  their  feet  against  a  stone. 
In  all  these  fifteen  hundred  miles  we  have  had  but 
two  slight  punctures  and  no  engine  trouble.  The 
Lord  surely  tempered  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lambs. 

Although  the  water  was  flowing  over  the  road 
and  had  filled  the  gullies  either  side  and  we  could 
not  see  which  was  the  road  and  which  was  the 
ditch,  the  Lord  kept  us  right  in  the  middle  of  the 
road  for  about  one-eighth  of  a  mile  until  the  car 
emerged,  dripping  but  triumphant,  at  the  other 
side.  (May  he  ever  keep  us  thus  in  the  middle  of 
the  King's  Highway,  through  the  waters  of  life.) 

218 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

At  noon,  looking  across  the  great  stretches  of 
prairie,  the  city  of  Tulsa  came  into  view,  and  as  we 
saw  the  skyline,  the  buildings  and  payed  streets, 
after  wading  through  the  slough  of  despond,  we 
shouted  and  praised  the  Lord,  for  it  seemed  that 
must  be  the  way  it  will  be  when  a  soul  is  n  earing 
Heaven,  coining  up  the  last  lap  of  the  journey — 
the  beautiful  city,  with  its  walls  of  jasper  looming 
just  before,  no  more  stones,  mud,  deep  ruts  or 
ditches  to  be  avoided,  but  smooth  streets  that  are 
paved  with  gold;  no  more  camping  by  the  way  in 
darkness,  for  there  will  be  an  eternal  day. 

ARRIVE  DAY  CHURCHES  RE-OPEN. 

Sabbath  morning,  as  we  were  driving  into  the 
streets  of  the  city,  the  first  service  was  being  held 
in  the  Assembly  of  God  Tabernacle.  Hallelujah! 
Hungry,  tired  and  dusty,  after  having  personally 
driven  and  cared  for  the  large  Gospel  Car,  we  had 
but  little  time  for  refreshments  when  meeting  hour 
arrived. 

The  large  tabernacle  was  well  filled,  both  with 
people  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  We  found  here 
a  strong  Pentecostal  Assembly,  deeply  taught  and 
rooted  in  the  Word,  clean  and  free  from  error,  free 
in  the  Spirit,  and  filled  with  love. 

PRAYER    PRECEDES    REVIVAL. 

For  many  weeks,  the  Tulsa  saints  were  praying 
definitely  for  the  coming  revival.  Days  of  fasting 
and  prayer  were  observed.  With  such  prayers  it 
was  no  wonder  the  Lord  brought  us  through  in 
safety,  no  wonder  the  ban  was  lifted  according  to 
the  promise  God  gave  me,  no  wonder  seventeen 
men  and  women  who  know  not  God  lifted  their 
hands  for  prayers  and  that  sinners  began  coming 
to  the  altar  from  the  first  night,  no  wonder  the 
Latter  Rain  came  down  in  such  showers,  no  won- 
der sick  were  healed  and  some  were  raised  up 
from  death's  door,  no  wonder  our  tired  bodies 

219 


THIS  IS  THAT 

were  rested  and  refreshed  so  that  we  could  keep 
going  day  and  night  with  scarcely  a  moment 
to  ourselves.  Why,  it  was  as  though  we  had 
come  in  contact  with  a  live  wire,  the  faith  and 
hunger  and  prayers  of  these  dear  people.  The 
meetings  grew  in  power  and  we  preached  to  over- 
flow audiences.  Sinners  and  saints  flocked  to  the 
altar  seeking  salvation  and  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit. 

SICK   HEALED. 

The  epidemic  still  raging,  and  many  having  been 
weakened  and  afflicted,  we  stood  hours  at  a  time 
praying  for  the  sick,  and  Jesus  helped  those  who 
came  to  Him.  Praise  His  name.  One  man,  crip- 
pled with  rheumatism,  insomuch  that  he  could  not 
move  without  acute  pain,  walked,  ran,  danced,  and 
finally  danced  and  leaped,  perfectly  healed.  A 
man  with  severe  stomach  trouble  and  a  sister  with 
running  sores,  internal  troubles,  were  healed,  also 
influenza,  heart  trouble,  etc. 

We  were  called  into  houses  where  poor  people 
were  lying  so  low  their  eyes  seemed  glassy,  and 
the  rattle  in  their  throats,  but  the  Lord  marvel- 
ously  raised  them  up.  Bless  His  name! 

THE  SPIRIT  TAKES  CONTROL. 

At  times  it  was  impossible  to  lead  the  meeting 
as  the  place  was  swept  with  the  praise  of  the 
Lord.  We  witnessed  one  of  the  most  extraordinary 
communion  services;  such  melting,  such  breaking 
down  with  tears,  such  exalting  of  the  blood,  mes- 
sages in  tongues  and  interpretation  as  the  bread 
and  the  wine  were  administered,  then  the  Holy 
laughter  and  the  shouts  of  praise  as  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  wras  preached  and  that  day  when  we 
would  drink  anew  with  Him  the  wine  in  His 
Father's  Kingdom  were  brought  forth. 

The  heavenly  anthem  and  the  playing  under  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  were  like  unto  II  Chron. 
5 :  13,  14. 

220 


THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  AUDITORIUM 

(which  was  engaged  by  the  Victoria  Hall  Assembly  for  our 

larger  meetings) 


TEMPLE  AUDITORIUM  ROSTRUM,  LOS  ANGELES 


THE   TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

Ofttimes,  just  before,  during  or  after  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Word,  the  Spirit  would  break  forth  with 
the  most  stirring,  searching  and  encouraging  mes- 
sages in  tongues  and  interpretation.  The  people 
would  leap  to  their  feet  as  one,  and  throwing  up 
their  hands,  shout  His  praises  until  it  seemed  that 
the  very  heavens  rang. 

FIRE  FALLS. 

During  altar  service  one  night  the  power  fell  in 
a  wonderful  way  upon  several  of  the  young  men; 
one,  with  his  face  transfigured  with  the  glory  of 
God,  cried  in  tones  that  went  through  every  heart, 
"Jesus  is  coming  soon,"  and  another,  also  in  the 
Spirit,  cried: 

"Get  ready;  get  ready;  get  ready!" 

Then  came  a  message  in  the  Spirit  warning  the 
people  that  the  time  was  short,  the  work  yet  to  be 
done  enormous,  that  self-sacrificing  thoroughly  con- 
secrated laborers  were  needed  today  as  never  be- 
fore. The  Lord  then  called  many  to  consecrate  and 
dedicate  themselves  anew  to  do  His  bidding.  The 
power  fell,  and  some  who  prayed  for  the  endue- 
ment  of  power,  the  workers  laid  hands  upon  them, 
over  fifty  fell  prostrate  under  the  power.  Strong 
men  went  down  like  straws. 

To  many  the  Lord  revealed  Himself  and  His 
love  in  a  way  they  had  never  known,  others  saw 
visions  of  harvest  fields  with  their  need  of  reapers, 
others  saw  Jesus  with  bleeding  hands  and  feet, 
and  caught  a  greater  revelation  of  the  heart  that 
broke  with  love  and  compassion  for  the  lost,  others 
saw  great  curtains  drawn  back  in  the  heavens  and 
Jesus  stood  revealed  before  them.  Some  heard 
wondrous  music,  while  still  others  cried  out  to  God 
as  He  searched  their  hearts  and  showed  them 
things  with  which  He  was  not  pleased,  the  piano 
was  played  under  the  power  and  the  heavenly 
music  flowed  forth  in  a  stream  of  melody;  saints 

221 


THIS  IS  THAT 

rose  and  flocked  around  the  piano,  the  song  was 
caught  up  sometimes  bursts  of  melody,  sometimes 
in  softest,  most  sacred  tones,  declaring  the  holi- 
ness and  majesty  of  the  Most  High  God,  swelling 
until  the  whole  building  trembled  with  the  majesty 
of  the  trumphant  song.  We  seemed  to  see  the  Vic- 
torious King  leading  his  triumphant  armies,  bat- 
talion after  battalion,  banners  flying,  armor  gleam- 
ing. When  the  last  quivering  note  died  away  a 
hush  fell  upon  all.  It  seemed  impossible  to  move 
or  speak,  and  we  were  loath  to  open  our  eyes  or 
come  back  to  earth  again.  The  saints  dispersed 
on  tip-toes.  We  had  been  in  the  presence  of  the 
Omnipotent  King  of  Kings. 

GOSPEL  CAR  WHEELS  FLY  FOR  JESUS. 

The  Gospel  Car  led  a  busy  life  in  Tulsa.  There 
were  ceaseless  calls  for  visiting  among  epidemic 
victims  day  and  night.  Wherever  it  went  its  signs 
attracted  much  attention  on  the  streets.  The 
Sunday  newspaper  printed  the  picture  of  the  car 
with  its  golden  sign,  "Jesus  Is  Coming"  showing 
plainly  on  the  head  of  the  paper.  There  were  days 
of  tract  distribution,  when  the  seven-passenger  car, 
filled  with  workers,  tracts  and  handbills,  visited 
neighboring  towns  and  villages,  placarding  every 
available  window  and  post  with  the  notices  of  the 
meetings  and  the  soon  coming  of  Jesus.  Tracts 
were  left  in  the  mail  boxes  at  the  farm  houses  and 
at  the  big  oil  wells,  etc. 

The  Gospel  Car  also  attended  noon-day  meetings 
and  preached  its  sermon  faithfully  at  the  Tulsa 
Iron  Works  while  we  preached  within  the  foundry 
to  the  working  men  and  iron  moulders  of  Jesus 
and  His  love,  meeting  some  of  these  men  at  the 
revival  meetings,  we  later  had  the  joy  of  seeing 
them  give  their  hearts  to  Jesus. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  work  of  the  Gospel 
Car  in  Tulsa  was  street  meetings.  Having  secured 

222 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

one  of  the  best  corners  in  the  city,  the  top  of  the 
auto  was  put  down,  and  singers,  with  their  musical 
instruments,  filled  the  car;  how  those  dear  ones 
did  sing  and  testify  of  Jesus.  Illustrated  charts 
were  hung  from  a  stand,  these  charts  drew  crowds 
from  all  about. 

Such  respect  I  never  witnessed  in  a  street  meet- 
ing; men  removed  their  hats  and  stood  with  bowed 
heads,  and  women  with  tears  in  their  eyes.  Then 
came  a  call  for  all  who  were  tired  of  sin  and 
wanted  Jesus  for  their  Saviour  to  lift  their  hands 
for  prayer.  The  first  night  eighteen,  the  second 
night  twenty-nine  raised  their  hands,  indicating 
that  they  wanted  Jesus  as  their  Saviour. 

Then  came  a  call  to  step  out  and  kneel  upon  the 
sidewalk  by  "our  penitent  form,"  the  running- 
board,  and  publicly,  before  their  fellow  citizens, 
surrender  to  Jesus.  Tears  were  on  the  faces  of 
many.  Two  ladies  stepped  out  of  the  crowd  and 
knelt,  their  tears  splashed  on  the  running-board, 
as  our  tears  of  joy  over  repentant  sinners  mingled 
with  theirs.  At  the  close  of  the  last  meeting  sev- 
eral hundred  saints  marched  out  of  the  tabernacle 
to  the  street  and  formed  in  circles  about  the  car. 
As  they  sang  and  prayed  the  Spirit  fell.  There 
were  tongues  and  interpretation  as  the  saints  laid 
their  hands  upon  the  car,  asking  God  to  protect  it 
and  its  occupants,  and  to  send  a  guard  of  angels 
with  it  to  keep  it  from  all  danger,  and  prayed  that 
it  might  ever  be  a  messenger  of  life  and  never  of 
death.  These  dear  ones  also  dropped  their  offer- 
ings toward  gas,  oil  and  tracts,  inside  the  car. 
God  bless  them ! 

TRANSCONTINENTAL  TOUR 
CONTINUED. 

Leaving  Tulsa  the  Gospel  Car  turned  south  bj, 
southwest  for  Oklahoma  City,  where  we  expected 
to  hold  a  meeting  that  night.  Saints  who  had  been 

223 


THlS  IS  THAT 

at  Tulsa  had  gone  ahead  of  us  on  the  train  to  ar- 
range this  meeting.  While  hastening  along  we 
found  time  to  distribute  tracts  through  the  huge 
fields  of  oil  wells  and  in  each  village  and  town. 

HELD  UP  AND  WAYLAID. 

Hurrying  along,  trying  to  make  every  minute 
count,  Ave  were  obliged  to  draw  up  at  a  filling- 
station,  in  the  little  town  of  Stroud.  As  we  stopped 
a  man  sprang  from  a  doorway  and  leaped  towarcj. 
the  car,  shouting:  "Praise  the  Lord."  Others 
came  running.  In  another  moment  the  car  was 
encircled  with  earnest  saints  praising  the  Lord  and 
telling  us  that  they  had  driven  from  nine  to  fifteen 
miles,  having  learned  that  this  town  being  on  the 
highway,  we  must  pass  through  it  today.  They 
had  picketed  themselves  at  various  corners  and 
doorways,  and  had  waited  all  day  since  early 
morning  to  ask  us  to  their  ten-mile  distant  mission 
at  Kendrick,  for  a  meeting.  We  shook  our  heads 
and  told  them  that  this  was  impossible,  as  we  had 
promised  to  be  in  Oklahoma  City  Mission  that 
night,  and  offering  them  tracts  and  literature  in- 
stead. But  they  held  onto  the  car  and  one  sister's 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  she  trembled  with  the 
intensity  of  her  eagerness  and  hunger.  Keri- 
drick  was  a  little  place  and  off  the  beaten 
track,  and  no  evangelist  or  Pentecostal  workers 
ever  came  that  way,  and  they  were  not  going  to  let 
us  go  by  without  coming  if  they  could  possibly 
help  it. 

Our  arguments  that  we  must  keep  our  first  prom- 
ise gradually  weakened  under  the  steady  fire  of 
their  pleadings,  until  we  consented  to  telephone 
and  call  up  Oklahoma  City  as  a  test,  that  if  the 
saints  there  were  willing,  we  should  stay. 

The  Oklahoma  City  saints  replied  that  Tuesday 
would  be  just  as  good,  that  they  would  have  more 
time  and  could  get  a  larger  crowd  together.  While 

224 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL  GOSPEL  TOUlt 

I  was  'phoning,  the  saints  were  lined  up  praying. 
How  their  faces  brightened  as  the  Gospel  Car  was 
turned  from  the  highway  and  out  through  the 
country  ten  miles  away,  where  a  hot  supper  was 
steaming  on  the  table  and  preparations  for  our 
comfort  had  been  made ! 

It  was  only  a  little  village,  but  this  seemed  to 
be  the  largest  building  in  it,  and  even  before  we 
got  there  we  could  see  the  lights  shining  inside  and 
out  and  people  standing  outside  looking  in  through 
the  door.  The  seats  were  filled  and  some  standing 
in  the  back  as  we  sang  and  praised  the  Lord  to- 
gether. After  a  simple  message  an  altar  call  was 
given,  and  one  dear  sister  received  the  baptism  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  speaking  in  a  clear,  beautiful 
language. 

Next  morning  we  pressed  on  to  Oklahoma  City, 
having  left  a  goodly  supply  of  tracts  and  Bridal 
Calls.  As  we  traveled  we  were  talking  of  and  mar- 
veling at  the  great  need  of  workers  throughout  the 
country  and  in  the  out-of-the-way  places. 

OKLAHOMA  CITY. 

The  saints  were  ready  and  waiting  for  us.  The 
Lord  gave  us  a  precious  meeting,  pouring  out  His 
spirit  upon  us  without  measure,  and  another  dear 
sister  received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that 
night.  There  were  many  calls  for  us  to  remain, 
holding  meetings  amongst  the  Indians;  round- 
houses were  offered  us  free  of  rent,  but  the  season 
was  late  and  the  weather  getting  cold,  great  snow 
storms  had  been  reported  farther  ahead  in  the 
mountains  and  we  hastened  on  our  way. 

Our  first  point  of  compass  was  Amarillo,  the  last 
town  in  Oklahoma.  From  Amarillo  to  Tucumcari, 
New  Mexico,  and  thence  on  to  Santa  Rosa.  As  we 

journeyed,  Sister  B and  my  dear  mother  gave 

out  tracts  through  fields  of  cotton  to  the  gangs  of 
road  workers,  bridge  builders,  farmers,  tent  en- 

225 


THIS  IS  THAT 

cainpinents  by  the  way,  and  to  the  white-topped 
caravans  as  they  lumbered  slowly  on  their  way. 

Although  there  had  been  a  heavy  snow  storm 
just  a  week  before,  and  roads  were  heavy,  we  got 
along  without  any  difficulty  until  after  we  had  left 
Tucumcari.  Here  the  roads  leading  to  Santa  Rosa 
became  more  and  more  dangerous,  mud,  snow,  deep 
gulches,  and  steep  mountain  passes.  Had  wre 
stopped  to  inquire  about  roads  ahead  (we  after- 
wards learned),  drivers  would  have  told  us  this 
road  was  impassable  in  wet  weather. 

Miles  and  miles  we  traveled,  where  the  only  sign 
of  life  was  an  occasional  prairie-dog  or  rolling 
tumble-weed.  Deeper,  ever  deeper  the  wheels  cut 
in  the  soft  mud  till  it  was  flying  clear  over  the  top 
of  the  car.  I  got  out  and  put  the  skid-chains  on, 
and  on  we  went.  Santa  Rosa  was  only  nine  miles 
away,  and  our  eyes  were  constantly  on  the  speed- 
ometer, as  we  sighed  with  relief  each  new  mile  we 
covered. 

Darkness  had  now  overtaken  us,  but  with  the 
good  lights  of  the  car  we  crept  on  in  low  gear,  the 
two  sisters  walking,  Roberta  and  Rolf,  my  two 
children,  asking  how  they  could  help  me  drive. 
The  wind  was  sweeping  over  the  prairie  in  icy 
blasts  when  the  car  at  last  settled  down  to  the 
fenders. 

Our  first  thought  was  to  search  for  lumber  to 
jack  the  car  up  on,  but  not  a  tree  had  we  passed 

for  a  hundred  miles.     Sister  B and  myself  at 

last  set  off  over  the  plains  to  search  for  help,  and 
the  Lord  directed  us  to  the  home  of  a  Mexican, 
who  came  with  team  and  labored  till  two  a.  m. 
without  avail.  It  dawned  upon  us  at  last  that  the 
Lord  did  not  want  us  to  go  on  that  night,  and 
though  we  have  always  taught  and  believed  that 
ALL  THINGS  work  together  for  good  to  those 
who  loved  the  Lord  and  were  called  according  to 

226 


THE  TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

His  purpose,  we  could  hardly  see  that  this  was  one 
of  the  "all  things." 

The  two  sisters  spent  the  night  in  the  two-miles 
distant  Mexican  adobe  house,  I  and  the  children 
(now  asleep)  in  the  car.  I  spent  the  night  in 
prayer,  and  just  at  daybreak  came  the  Mexicans  in 
their  wagon  with  more  boards,  and  the  first  time 
trying  we  were  out  of  the  mud  and  on  our  way. 

We  had  not  gone  more  than  a  mile  when  we 
saw  God's  reason  for  holdng  us  back;  deep  wash- 
outs and  gulches  had  to  be  crossed,  where  only 
good  light,  and  careful  driving  could  have  saved 
the  car  and  its  passengers.  But  the  Lord  was  with 
us  and  the  guard  of  angels  Avas  never  more  real  to 
us,  and  though  water  came  over  the  fenders  at 
times,  we  never  had  to  stop  again. 

SANTA  ROSA. 

Beaching  the  town,  cold,  hungry,  wet  and 
muddy,  the  Lord  had  a  blessed  surprise  for  us. 
As  we  reached  the  square  a  young  couple  rushed 
across  the  street  crying : 

"Praise  the  Lord !  Won't  you  come  right  to  our 
house?  O,  we  are  so  glad  to  see  some  Pentecostal 
saints,  haven't  met  any  for  over  two  years!  Come 
and  stay  a  week,  can't  you?" 

How  wonderful,  here  in  a  wilderness,  where  we 
never  would  have  expected  to  meet  a  soul  who  had 
received  the  Holy  Spirit,  They  welcomed,  fed 
and  warmed  us,  washed  our  muddy  car,  gave 
us  dry  clothes  while  ours  were  washed.  Even  the 
sister's  shoes  fitted  our  feet,  and  her  children's, 
clothes  fitted  the  little  ones.  How  we  sang  and 
prayed  and  the  power  fell;  their  hearts  were 
starved,  they  needed  us  and  we  needed  them,  and 
we  all  needed  the  Lord,  and  He  satisfied  the 
need.  Hallelujah ! 

From  Santa  Rosa  we  journeyed  across  the  state 
of  New  Mexico,  via  Socorro.  We  had  expected  to 

227 


THIS  IS  THAT 

go  by  the  northern  route,  over  the  Datl  mountains, 
but  found  the  passes  so  full  of  snow  that  we  turned 
down  on  the  southern  trail  to  Deming,  N.  Mex., 
thence  to  Tucson,  and  on  to  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Many  miles  of  desert  with  no  signs  of  life;  the 
giant  cactus  towered  above  the  car  and  occasional 
coyotes  skulked  in  the  distance.  Houses  were 
sixty  and  eighty  miles  apart,  and  so  our  kind 
and  thoughtful  Father  sent  us  through  this  long- 
stretch  of  road  with  three  other  automobiles, 
making  the  party  of  four  in  all,  the  other  cars 
being  seasoned  travelers  with  kind-hearted  men 
and  women  who  offered  assistance  and  encour- 
agement all  the  way,  one  of  them  even  driving  the 
car  for  two  days  to  rest  my  arms. 

From  Phoenix  we  were  advised  to  go  north  to 
Needles,  Cal.,  thus  striking  the  old  National  trail 
again  and  avoiding  the  deep  sand  of  Yuma  and 
other  southern  points.  This  stretch  of  sand  and 
stone  took  us  over  the  last  of  our  poor  roads,  for  at 
Needles  we  struck  a  boulevard  which  ran  through 
the  desert  to  the  top  of  the  mountains,  through 
the  mountain  passes  leading  on  down  the  long 
grade,  where  we  were  able  to  coast  for  many  miles 
through  the  winding  grades  and  beautiful  scenery, 
until  we  came  to  San  Bernardino,  Cal. 

After  the  prairies,  plains,  deserts  and  mountains 
this  was  like  a  neAV  world.  For  a  week  past  we 
had  been  passing  through  great  mining  sections 
where  the  mountains  were  yielding  gold,  silver, 
amalgam,  zinc,  iron,  copper  and  other  minerals, 
but  now  all  this  was  past  and  we  were  in  the  land 
where  thousands  of  acres  were  filled  with  beautiful 
fruit  trees,  oranges,  lemons,  grapefruit,  etc.,  hang- 
ing in  abundance. 

We  hastened  on  to  Eialto,  Upland,  Glendora, 
and  Arcadia  to  Pasadena,  and  from  Pasadena  to 
Los  Angeles,  arriving  Saturday  noon,  finding  the 
saints  prepared  and  waiting  to  welcome  us.  Every 

228 


THE   TRANS-CONTINENTAL   GOSPEL   TOUR 

arrangement  for  our  comfort  and  accommodation 
had  been  made  by  these  precious  children  of  the 
Lord,  and  Sunday  the  revival  meeting  opened. 

We  were  able  to  luxuriate  in  the  surroundings 
of  home  comforts  after  our  long  journey  and 
tract-distributing  trip  for  Jesus,  but  as  we  looked 
upon  the  beautiful  country,  the  welcoming  glow  in 
tfhe  faces  of  the  saints,  and  attended  the  first  meet- 
ing, where  the  power  fell  in  showers,  we  could 
lift  our  hands  and  say  truly, 

"The  toils  of  the  road  seem  nothing  since  reach- 
ing the  end  of  the  way." 


229 


M 

H 

H- 


si 


o; 

<  2 
§P 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

MIGHTY  DOWNPOUR  AT  LOS  ANGELES. 

"Shout;  for  the  Lord  hath  given  you  the  city."    Jos.  6:16. 

*NOTE :  ( The  following  account  of  meetings  is 
taken  from  a  report  written  for  the  Pentecostal 
papers  during  the  Los  Angeles  revival.) 

THIS  IS  A  REAL  REVIVAL. 

A  real  revival  spirit  fills  the  people.  It  sprang, 
as  all  other  revivals  have,  from  the  sure  deep 
roots  of  much  travailing  prayer  and  intercession 
before  the  Lord,  and  it  came  suddenly  as  God's 
answers  usually  do.  As  the  saints  were  praying 
here,  and  asking  of  the  Lord  great  things,  the 
Lord  was  answering. 

"Yes,  Yes,  My  children,  Yes.  I  will  take  the 
iceak  to  confound  mighty,  and  things  which  are  not 
to  bring  to  naught  things  that  arc.  I  will  take  a 
worm  to  thrash  a  mountain." 

True  to  His  word,  the  Lord  spoke  to  this  weak 
little  worm  of  the  dust  who  feels  the  weakest  of 
God's  children,  and  burned  into  my  heart  the  call 
to  Los  Angeles.  The  call  was  so  strongly  impressed 
upon  me  that  we  set  forth  and  a  band  of  angels 
seemed  to  accompany  us  all  the  way,  lifting  us  over 
the  stony  places,  upholding  us  through  the  swollen 
streams  and  bringing  us  safely  to  our  journey's 
end.  But  for  this  revival  we  wish  to  give  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Spirit  all  the  Glory.  Paul  may 
plant,  Apollos  may  water,  but  'tis  God  who  giveth 
the  increase. 

Christmas  week  was  a  week  of  preparation. 
Crowds  grew  steadily  and  by  the  end  of  the  week 

231 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  people  were  not  able  to  get  into  the  hall; 
prayer  room  filled,  rostrum,  seats  and  stairway 
filled,  and  scores  being  turned  away.  Such  weeping 
and  singing  and  dancing! 

The  windows  of  Heaven  were  opened;  sinners 
were  saved,  believers  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
ofttimes  from  twelve  to  twenty  in  a  single  meeting. 
The  shouting  and  the  heavenly  singing  of  the 
people,  with  its  attendant  cloud  of  glory,  so 
filled  the  tabernacle  that  at  times  the  priests  and 
the  Lord's  ministers  could  not  minister. 

People  complained  that  they  were  not  able  to  get 
into  the  building,  large  as  it  was,  so 

THE  TEMPLE  AUDITORIUM 
with  its  rows  of  galleries,  besides  the  pit  and 
great  rostrum,  (seating  some  three  thousand  five 
hundred  people),  was  rented  for  the  larger  Sunday 
meetings  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  even 
though  the  price  was  one  hundred  dollars  for  every 
three  hours.  Pastor  Fisher  and  Brother  Blake, 
with  their  band  of  workers,  did  not  count  any 
price  or  trouble  too  great,  but  threw  themselves 
heart  and  soul  into  the  work. 

NEW  YEAR'S  EVE,, 

while  the  world  was  jubilating  outside  with  their 
noise-making  devices,  the  Lord  had  a  few  noise- 
making  devices  within  who  were  having  a  R-E-A-L 
jubilee,  and  Victoria  Hall  was  packed  to  its  doors. 
The  Lord  led  me  to  preach  that  night  on  the 
valley  of  dry  bones,  and  point  the  way  for  each 
dried-up  soul  to  get  back  to  the  place  of  power  and 
blessing.  When  the  call  for  the  altar  service  was 
given  the  prayer  room  was  filled  to  overflowing, 
the  rostrum,  the  entire  altar  (and  even  though  the 
seats  were  moved  back  to  make  room)  all  round 
the  building  and  in  the  aisles  scores  were  praying 
for  salvation,  believers  receiving  the  Baptism  of  the 

232 


MIGHTY  DOWNPOUR  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

Holy  Ghost,  sick  healed  and  such  dancing  and  re- 
joicing as  the  lost  came  home! 

It  was  estimated  that  over  one  hundred  were 
slain  under  the  power  on  this  one  night  alone. 
With  much  weeping,  many  confessions  were  made; 
differences  melted  away  as  the  saints  threw  their 
arms  about  each  other;  tears  of  love  and  praise 
were  mingled. 

Many  who  had  lost  their  first  love  came  to  be 
prayed  for  that  they  might  be  so  charged  with 
the  power  that  they  might  be  workers  for  Him 
in  the  coming  revival.  As  the  workers  were 
prayed  for  they  fell,  one  to  the  right,  another  to 
the  left,  and  some  lay  for  hours  under  the  power 
as  God  dealt  and  spoke  with  them.  They  forgot 
the  music,  and  the  shouting,  forgot  the  hall  in 
which  they  lay,  and  were  caught  up  like  Paul  of 
old  into  the  third  Heaven.  Many  of  them  had 
visions;  some  saw  the  harvest  fields  white,  heavy 
heads  drooping  low  for  the  gleaner's  hand,  and 
heard  the  great  call  for  reapers  to  stop  fighting 
each  other  with  their  sharp  sickles  and  go  out 
into  the  field  and  gather  in  the  grain,  because 
Jesus  is  coming  soon. 

Others  saw  visions  of  souls  going  down  into 
eternal  perdition  without  God  and  without  hope, 
and  heard  their  cries  and  shrieks  as  the  Lord 
bade  them  go  rescue  the  perishing  and  snatch  the 
sinners  as  brands  from  the  burning.  One  saw 
the  Lord  walking  through  the  orchards  with  His 
axe  in  His  hand,  cutting  down  fruitless  trees  by 
the  root,  casting  them  into  the  fire,  and  trans- 
planting fruitful  trees  to  their  places,  and  gave  a 
message  in  the  Spirit. 

God  spoke  and  revealed  Himself  to  others  in  a 
marvelous  way  until  they  declared  that  they  saw 
into  the  depths  of  His  great  heart  of  love  and 
compassion  until  their  own  souls  throbbed  with 
His  as  never  before  with  yearning  for  the  lost. 

233 


THIS  iS  THAT 

Strong  men  and  women  wept  like  children;  a 
broken,  contrite  mellow  spirit  seemed  to  fill 
everybody. 

Just  as  the  midnight  hour  was  approaching, 
someone  went  to  the  piano  in  the  Spirit  and 
played  "Victory  Ahead/'  and  saints  joined  in  and 
marched  round  and  round  the  building  in  such 
numbers  that  the  aisles  were  choked  as  they  took 
the  place  for  God;  All  joined  hands,  forming  one 
unbroken  circle  about  the  entire  hall  and  prayed 
with  such  fervor  and  zeal  that  it  seemed  the  very 
heavens  dropped  fatness  and  honey.  Missionaries, 
evangelists,  ministers  and  Christian  workers  heard 
of  this  great  outpouring  hundreds  of  miles  away 
and  came  by  train  and  boat  that  they  might  them- 
selves be  revived  and  be  a  blessing  to  others. 

In  all  the  month's  meetings  held  under  the 
auspices  of  Pastor  Fisher  in  Victoria  Hall  and 
the  Temple  Auditorium,  not  one  drop  of  rain  fell 
outside,  even  though  it  was  the  rainy  season,  no 
jar  was  felt,  and  no  lack  of  unity  or  love  was  dis- 
played. The  Spirit  took  absolute  control  of  the 
meetings. 

As  the  Sunday  afternoon  services  in  the  great 
Auditorium  were  dismissed,  the  audiences  flocked 
to  Victoria  Hall,  many  of  them  not  waiting  for 
supper,  so  that  by  five  o'clock  every  seat  was 
taken ;  by  six  o'clock  there  was  scarcely  any  stand- 
ing room  left,  and  by  seven  o'clock  hundreds  were 
being  turned  away  from  the  door,  some  weeping 
with  disappointment  because  they  could  not  get 
in.  There  were  messages  in  tongues  and  interpre- 
tation; there  was  heavenly  singing  and  music  in 
the  Spirit,  Often  before  preaching,  several  have 
received  the  baptism  in  the  overflow  meeting  held 
in  the  prayer  room,  while  during  the  sermon 
others  come  through,  speaking  in  tongues  and 
magnifying  God. 


234 


MIGHTY  DOWNPOUR  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

This  revival  is  truly  not  man-made  or  woman- 
made,  but  has  come  down  from  the  Father  of 
lights,  for  whether  the  message  comes  forth  in 
burning  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost  or  is  given 
in  just  a  few  simple,  plain  words  explaining  salva- 
tion, the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  and  the  coming  of 
the  Lord;  or  whether  there  is  no  preaching  at  all? 
results  are  just  the  same,  scores  come  to  the  altar 
and  believers  receive  the  Holy  Ghost. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  many  wonderful 
cases  wherein  we  have  seen  our  God  work.  A 
husband  and  wife  who  have  not  lived  with  each 
other  for  seven  years,  both  got  saved  and  ran  and 
threw  their  arms  around  each  other;  she  received 
the  baptism.  Another  couple  who  hadn't  spoken 
for  several  years  got  back  to  the  Lord,  and  the 
little  girl  came  with  such  joy  to  tell  how  papa 
and  mamma  were  going  to  have  a  happy  home. 

Another  fine-looking  man  came,  crying  like  a 
baby,  asking  us  to  pray  for  him,  he  wanted  to  be 
saved.  We  prayed  for  him,  his  face  was  bathed  in 
tears,  and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  the  man 
was  under  the  power,  speaking  in  other  tongues. 

A  young  lady,  a  beautiful  violin  player,  came  to 
assist  in  the  music,  was  gloriously  saved,  and  lay 
stretched  out  under  the  power  of  the  Lord,  very 
near  her  baptism.  Many  who  were  here  say  they 
have  traveled  the  world  over  the  last  twelve  years, 
since  the  latter  rain  began  to  fall,  and  that  they 
have  seen  great  revivals,  but  all  declare  that  they 
never  saw  a  revival  like  this,  and  all  agree  that  it 
outshines  even  the  wonderful  days  of  old  Azuza 
St.,  of  which  they  all  speak  with  rapt  faces; 
such  a  unity  and  melting  together  of  workers, 
such  a  laying  aside  of  quibbles  and  hairsplitting 
doctrines,  such  a  going  out  together  for  poor,  lost 
sinners,  God  cannot  help  but  bless. 


235 


THIS  IS  THAT 

BETHEL  TEMPLE 

G.   N.   ELDRIDGE,  PASTOR. 

Sunday  afternoon,  January  19th,  after  the  close 
of  the  meeting  in  the  Temple  Auditorium,  meet- 
ings opened  in  the  beautiful  Bethel  Temple,  the 
entire  orchestra  came  from  Victoria  Hall  with 
violins,  cornets,  a  guitar,  etc.,  and  half  an  hour 
before  meeting  was  opened  people  were  being  sent 
back  to  the  overfloAv  meetings  or  down  to  the 
basement,  where  an  earnest  prayer  meeting  was 
in  progress.  The  heavenly  singing  rose,  swelled 
to  a  cloud  of  glory  and  a  mantle  of  adoration 
enfolded  the  people.  One  after  another  people 
from  the  age  of  six  to  the  old  man  who  boasted  of 
his  seventy-eighth  birthday,  sprang  to  their  feet 
with  quick,  burning,  definite  testimonies. 

After  a  simple  message  from  the  Word  and  an 
earnest  altar  call,  sinners  and  believers  were  on 
their  way  together  to  the  basement,  where  seats 
had  been  removed  and  the  great  floor  cleared  for  a 
prayer  and  tarrying  meeting.  Ere  long  the  floor 
was  covered  with  the  slain  of  the  Lord  and  many 
workers,  evangelists  and  missionaries  were  passing 
from  one  to  the  other,  praying  with  and  rejoicing 
over  those  who  were  coming  through  to  their 
baptism. 

After  the  week  at  Bethel  Temple  we  again  took 
up  the  revival  meetings  in  Victoria  Hall.  The 
seats  were  filled  long  before  meeting,  then  people 
stood  wedged  tightly  for  hours.  Ushers  struggled 
to  keep  the  aisles  open  to  conform  with  the  fire 
laws;  children  and  younger  people  sat  on  the 
floor  in  front  of  the  altar,  even  on  the  plat- 
form itself,  and  every  available  foot  of  space 
was  taken  until  the  speaker  found  it  hard  to 
move  to  and  fro  without  stepping  upon  some 
one.  They  raised  the  windows  and  stood  on  the 
window-sills;  seats  were  put  on  the  elevation  that 
covers  the  baptistry,  many  stood  in  the  halls  and 

236 


MIGHTY  DOWNPOUR  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

the  corridors ;  overflow  meetings  were  held  in  other 
parts  of  the  building,  one  in  the  prayer-room, 
where  the  singing  and  praising  would  be  echoed 
in  to  us  in  the  larger  hall  as  believers  received 
the  baptism.  One  night  eleven  received  the  baptism 
during  the  preaching.  Pastor  Fisher  had  thrown 
open  his  office  suite  of  four  rooms  for  an  overflow 
meeting.  Here  many  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  others  were  in  earnest  prayer  before  God 
for  conviction  to  rest  upon  the  entire  audience 
of  the  larger  service. 

The  floors  of  the  prayer  room  were  filled;  they 
fell  on  the  platform  where  the  sick  were  prayed 
for;  many  sinners  who  came  up  the  aisles  for  sal- 
vation and  lined  and  relined  the  altar  across  the 
front  were  saved  and  struck  down  under  the  power 
of  God  as  soon  as  they  reached  their  knees.  One 
night  it  was  thought  remarkable  by  many  of  the 
workers  who  were  looking  on,  to  see  eleven  out  of 
one  group  of  twelve  which  had  come  to  the  altar 
for  salvation,  not  only  saved,  but  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  singing  of  the  heavenly  choir,  the  messages 
in  tongues,  and  interpretation,  were  indescribable. 
Such  a  sweet  spirit  of  unity  and  love  prevailed, 
such  a  mantle  of  worship  and  adoration  fell  upon 
and  enveloped  the  people  that  many  times  it  was 
impossible  to  preach;  even  testimonies  would  be 
drowned  out  by  the  bursts  of  praise  and  song 
which  would  sweep  from  the  pulpit  to  the 
door.  Again  the  audience  would  arise  and  with 
uplifted  hands  praise  and  worship  the  glorious 
One  who  had  caused  the  desert  to  blossom  as  a 
rose,  and  pools  to  spring  forth  in  the  wilderness, 
and  give  floods  in  the  dry  land;  Hallelujah! 

The  messages  in  tongues  and  interpretation  also 
vividly  described  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  the 
approaching  darkness  sweeping  o'er  the  land,  the 
rising  up  of  the  beast  out  of  the  sea,  the  great  red 

237 


THIS  IS  THAT 

hand  over  the  horizon,  ascending  in  the  sky,  reach- 
ing over  the  earth,  and  gripping  it  so  tightly  that 
blood  oozed  forth  between  its  fingers. 

Ofttimes  the  messages  were  more  than  the  sin> 
ners  could  bear,  and  as  the  sufferings  of  the  Lord 
were  described  sobs  would  be  heard,  men  and 
women  from  many  parts  of  the  building  rose  and 
came  to  the  altar  for  salvation.  Although  no 
effort  was  made  to  keep  track  of  the  number 
saved  or  baptized  in  these  meetings,  we  know  the 
angels  rejoiced  one  night  at  the  spectacle  of  forty 
men  and  women  coming  to  the  altar  for  this  glori- 
ous salvation.  An  entire  Catholic  family  were 
saved  the  same  night. 

Two  women  who  came  in  drunk  and  were  saved 
at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  praised  God  each 
meeting  for  having  been  saved  from  a  life  of  sin 
and  shame,  and  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Need- 
less to  say,  every  one  who  received  the  Holy 
Spirit  spoke  in  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave 
utterance,  even  the  man  who  had  been  born  deaf 
and  dumb. 

He  came  to  meeting  day  after  day  writing  with 
pencil  and  pad.  He  sought  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  of  course  in  order  to  baptize  him 
the  Lord  must  enable  him  to  speak.  After  seeking 
five  nights,  the  Holy  Spirit  suddenly  came  to  His 
temple.  It  would  be  hard  to  describe  the  shouting 
and  the  joy  of  those  who  gathered  round  him  as 
he  received  the  Holy  Spirit  and  came  through 
speaking  with  other  tongues  in  an  audible  voice. 
When  he  rose  from  under  the  power  the  voice  had 
not  left  him.  Bless  God!  We  praise  God  for 
many  cases  of  healing  and  deliverance.  All 
through  the  meetings  praise  has  been  given  to 
the  Father  and  to  His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  to 
the  Holy  Spirit.  No  man  or  woman  has  either 
taken  or  been  given  the  glory,  for  all  has  been  so 
manifestly  done  by  God  through  weak  vessels 
of  clay. 

238 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

"THE  HOUSE  THAT  GOD  BUILT." 

"Yea,  the  sparrow  hath  found  an  house,  and  the  swallow 
a  nest  for  herself,  where  she  may  lay  her  young."  Ps.  84:2. 

During  the  week  at  Bethel  Temple  the  Lord 
had  spoken  this  command  with  the  promise: 

"Go  to  Victoria  Hall  Sunday  night.  I  am  going 
to  do  something  wonderful  in  Victoria  Hall  Sun- 
day night."  And  Oh,  He  did  keep  His  word! 

All  this  time  the  Lord  had  continued  to  assure 
me  that  He  would  provide  for  me  a  little  home  for 
the  children.  He  spoke  to  other  people  through- 
out the  city  on  the  same  lines  insomuch  that  they 
were  calling  me  up  on  the  telephone  with  the 
word  that  God  had  been  showing  them  that  the 
little  children  should  have  a  home  and  place  to  go 
to  school. 

Now  this  particular  Sunday  night  of  our  return 
to  Victoria  Hall,  the  place  was  packed  to  the  doors 
with  people  when  a  young  lady  sprang  to  her 
feet,  saying, 

"The  Lord  shows  me  that  I  am  to  give  a  lot  to 
Mrs.  McPherson.  I  have  four  lots  of  land  and  do 
not  need  them  all.  I  am  not  called  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  while  she  is,  and  by  giving  the  land  that 
the  little  ones  may  have  a  home  and  she  may  be 
free  to  come  and  go  in  the  Lord's  work,  I  will 
share  in  her  reward."  A  brother  sprang  to  his 
feet,  saying: 

"Yes,  and  I  will  help  dig  the  cellar."  Others 
chimed  in  with :  "Yes,  I  will  help  lay  the  founda- 
tion," "I  will  do  the  lathing,"  "I  will  do  the 
plastering,"  "I  will  furnish  the  dining  room,"  and 

239 


THIS  IS  THAT 

so  it  went  on  until  even  the  little  canary  bird  was 
promised. 

A  lady  promised  rose  bushes.  Now  the  canary 
and  the  rose  bushes  touched  niy  heart  and  caused 
me  to  shout  more  than  all  else,  for  small  as  the 
incidents  may  seem,  I  could  see  God,  for  the 
canary  and  the  rose  bushes  were  the  two  things 
the  children  had  asked  for  beyond  all  else.  The 
Heavenly  Father  had  not  forgotten. 

When  all  was  arranged  a  day  of  dedication  and 
earth-turning  was  set,  and  after  singing  and 
prayer  the  saints  formed  a  long  line  and  marched 
round  the  lot  single  file,  asking  the  Lord  for  the 
needed  means  with  which  to  erect  the  little  home. 

Away  back  yonder,  when  out  of  the  will  of  God, 
how  I  had  struggled  to  get  a  little  rente'd  flat 
furnished,  and  what  misery  I  had  gone  through, 
but  now  God  is  Himself  planning  a  home  which 
would  be  our  own,  a  home  given  and  built  by  the 
saints,  where  every  tap  of  the  hammer  drove 
nails  of  love  into  the  building  and  into  our  hearts. 
Perhaps  none  of  my  readers  who  have  always  had 
a  home  for  their  little  ones,  a  pillow  of  their  own 
at  night,  could  enter  in  with  me  into  this  wonder- 
ful joy  in  their  behalf. 

Brother  Blake  was  a  builder  by  trade,  and  he 
undertook  to  oversee  the  erection  of  the  little  home. 
Soon  the  brothers  were  digging  the  cellar  and  do- 
ing the  work  either  entirely  free  or  at  a  very  low 
figure.  One  brother  who  offered  his  services  was 
tested  by  the  enemy,  who  said  to  him : 

"Now  you  know  you  should  be  working  some- 
where where  you  could  earn  a  good  day's  pay  to 
take  home  to  the  wife  and  family." 

He  knew  God  had  spoken  to  him,  hoAvever,  and 
toiled  away  at  the  foundation.  On  his  way  home 
one  night  it  began  to  rain,  and  right  at  his  feet 
lay  fifteen  dollars.  God  had  richly  paid  him  for 
his  two  days'  labor.  Hallelujah! 

240 


"THE  HOUSE  THAT  GOD  BUILT" 

This  is  just  one  instance  out  of  many  where 
God  has  blessed  every  undertaking  about  this 
little  home.  It  Avas  a  wonderful  thing,  also,  that 
the  lot  of  land,  just  on  the  suburbs  of  Los  Angeles, 
while  away  from  the  influence  of  the  city,  should 
be  just  across  the  street  from  a  fine  school.  Let 
everybody  that  reads  say  "Glory."  We  ourselves 
are  so  full  of  thankfulness  and  praise  we  can  cry 
with  David, 

"Oh,  where,  my  soul,  shall  I  begin  to  praise  the 
name  of  Jesus?" 


241 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

"The  plowman  shall  overtake  the  reaper,  and  the  treader 
of  grapes  him  that  soweth  seed;  and  the  mountains  shall 
drop  sweet  wine,  and  all  the  hills  shall  melt."  Amos  9:13. 

Leaving  Los  Angeles  at  noon,  via  the  San 
Fernando  Valley,  we  passed  through  the  citrus 
and  olive  ranches,  through  the  Newhall  Tunnel 
and  on  to  Saugus  with  its  great  fields  of  oil  wells 
nestling  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  losing  no 
opportunity  with  tracts  and  literature. 

From  Saugus  we  climbed  the  mountain  grades 
of  the  San  Francisquito  Canyon,  skirted  the  edge 
of  the  great  lonely  Mojave  Desert  spread  like  a 
vast,  silent  emptiness  far  away  into  the  blue 
distance.  Then  up  and  up  the  mighty  Tejon  Pass 
with  its  rocky  cliffs  and  precipices  (Mt.  Whitney 
in  the  distance).  From  the  snowy  summit  we 
dropped  to  plains  whereon  a  straight  road 
stretched  before  us  like  a  long,  shining  ribbon. 
Speeding  over  this  highway,  sunset  found  us  in 
the  town  of  Bakersfield. 

There  was  no  Pentecostal  work  in  Bakersfield, 
so  we  decided  to  spend  the  night  there.  We  dis- 
tributed tracts,  and  also  held  an  open-air  meeting 
at  one  of  the  principal  corners,  from  the  Gospel 
Car.  Here  we  found  special  need  for  the  little 
Gospels,  Avhich  we  gave  freely. 

On  the  journey  toward  Oakland  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, a  blinding  rain  made  driving  not  only  diffi- 
cult but  dangerous.  Hurrying  along  with  side 
curtains  buttoned  securely  and  the  windshield 
misty  with  the  falling  torrents,  we  failed  to  see  an 

243 


THIS  IS  THAT 

approaching-  freight  train  until  within  twenty  feet 
of  the  track.  The  train  was  going  too  fast  to  stop, 
and  had  I  slammed  on  the  brakes  the  car  would 
have  skidded  ahead  into  the  train.  Quick  as  a 
flash  the  Lord  gave  me  presence  of  mind  to  whirl 
the  car  to  the  left  and  up  the  side  of  the  track, 
thus  avoiding  the  train  and  coming  to  a  stop 
without  injury.  Hallelujah! 

We  prayed  for  dry  weather;  soon  the  sky 
cleared,  and  as  Ave  crossed  the  bay  on  the  ferry 
from  Oakland  to  San  Francisco  the  sun  smiled 
down  upon  us  from  a  clear  blue  sky,  as  a  promise 
that  the  Lord  would  send  down  upon  us  the 
showers  of  blessing  and  the  sunshine  of  His  love 
whilst  in  this  city. 

Brother  and  Sister  Robert  J.  Craig,  with  their 
workers,  were  waiting  to  welcome  the  Gospel  Car 
and  its  seven  rejoicing  passengers. 

GLAD  TIDINGS  HALL 

From  the  first  meeting  to  the  last  the  glory  of 
God  rested  upon  the  people.  The  manifestations 
of  the  Spirit's  power  increased  daily,  hungry 
souls  came  from  far  and  near  and  were  filled  with 
good  things  from  Father's  table.  Crowds  in- 
creased daily,  and  even  though  an  extra  gallery 
was  built,  the  last  meeting  found  the  crowds 
standing  clear  out  onto  the  sidewalk. 

The  way  in  which  sinners  rose  to  their  feet  in 
response  to  the  altar  call  and  came  from  the 
galleries  and  from  various  parts  of  the  hall  to  the 
altar  was  a  sight  to  warm  the  heart  of  any  soul- 
winner.  At  the  close  of  each  preaching  service 
the  long  prayer  room  would  quickly  fill  from  one 
end  to  the  other  with  earnest  seekers  for  the 
baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  prayers  of 
seekers  and  workers  went  up  with  such  unison 
and  in  such  accord  that  their  voices  sounded  like 
the  rushing  of  many  waters.  Many  were  pros- 

244 


LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO 

trated  on  the  floor  under  the  power  of  God  while 
they  received  their  baptism,  others  were  filled 
with  the  Spirit  while  kneeling  or  standing  upright 
on  their  feet,  with  hands  and  face  upturned  to 
heaven. 

These  after  meetings  ofttimes  continued  until 
five  and  six  in  the  morning.  Among  the  many 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  during  these  meet- 
ings were  twro  ministers,  church  members  and  a 
number  from  a  nearby  Salvation  Army  corps. 

FIRE  FALLS  IN  WATER. 

As  the  new  converts  took  a  firm  stand  for  the 
Lord  and  were  buried  'neath  the  water  in  baptism, 
the  fire  fell  in  the  baptismal  fountain  till  Pastor 
and  new  converts  danced  and  shouted,  talked  in 
tongues  with  interpretation. 

Throughout  our  meetings  everywhere  we  have 
put  the  ministry  for  the  soul  first,  then  the  min- 
istry for  the  body,  nevertheless  miracles  of  healing 
have  been  wrought  in  almost  every  meeting. 

Among  those  who  were  healed  in  the  San  Fran- 
cisco meeting  was  a  child  whose  throat  was  to 
have  been  operated  on  the  following  day,  instantly 
healed  in  answer  to  prayer.  The  doctor  bade  the 
mother  take  the  child  home,  saying  that  she  was 
perfectly  whole. 

A  lady  who  had  suffered  with  internal  trouble 
and  rupture  for  eighteen  years  was  instantly 
made  whole  by  the  Great  Physician,  Jesus,  in 
answer  to  the  prayer  of  faith,  insomuch  that  the 
truss  has  been  removed  and  she  leaps  and  dances 
and  praises  the  Lord,  absolutely  free  from  pain. 

A  brother  whose  knee  and  ankle  had  been 
stiffened  from  a  severe  accident,  was  touched  by 
the  Hand  Divine,  and  his  joints  loosened  up  so 
that  he  danced  and  leaped  for  joy,  his  limb  made 
whole  and  sound  as  ever. 

An  elderly  lady  afflicted  with  neuritis  in  head 

245 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  face,  insomuch  that  for  a  number  of  years  she 
had  not  had  a  sound  night's  sleep,  came  to  ask  for 
prayer.  So  tender  was  her  head  and  face  that  she 
held  her  hands  over  it  while  we  prayed,  as  though 
in  terror  lest  the  lightest  finger  touch  should  reach 
it.  She  was  instantly  healed,  and  through  the 
entire  balance  of  the  meetings  continued  to  praise 
God  that  all  pain  and  tenderness  was  gone,  and 
she  slept  soundly,  free  from  suffering. 

What  a  wonderful  Saviour  is  He  who  has  borne 
not  only  our  sins  but  our  sickness  in  His  own 
body  upon  the  tree,  and  by  whose  stripes  we  are 
made  whole.  Here  is  the  testimony  of  a  sister : 

HEALED  OF  TUMOR. 

"I  had  been  afflicted  with  a  tumor  on  my  wrist 
for  a  number  of  years  and  had  never  had  a  per- 
manent healing  until  now.  Sister  McPherson  and 
a  brother  prayed  for  me  and  I  am  thoroughly 
healed.  I  work  at  my  stenographic  work  every 
day  and  there  is  no  soreness  in  the  wrist  at  night, 
which  shows  it  is  a  perfect  healing.  Praise  the 
Lord.  I  was  healed  of  internal  trouble  which 
made  my  life  miserable,  and  my  sight,  which  had 
been  affected  from  my  nervous  condition,  was  also 
healed,  so  I  am  now  made  perfectly  whole." 

B.  u  L. 

Brother  and  Sister  Craig,  who  have  stood  as 
pastors  of  this  work  for  seven  years,  are  precious, 
fire-tried  saints  of  the  Lord.  Through  the  many 
doctrinal  issues  and  contrary  tides  that  the  enemy 
has  brought  to  bear  against  the  children  of  -the 
Lord  in  these  last  days,  they  have  stood  firm  and 
true.  The  kindness,  hospitality  and  love  extended 
to  us  by  the  dear  ones  of  San  Francisco  will  never 
be  forgotten. 

After  the  farewell  service,  saints  and  pastor 
gathered  about  the  Gospel  Car,  and  prayed  and 
sang  ere  we  departed  to  our  next  field  of  labor. 

246 


LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO 

OAKLAND,   CAL. 

„  Mrs.  Carrie  Judd  Montgomery,  who,  with 
other  Oakland  saints,  attended  many  of  the  meet- 
ings at  San  Francisco,  having  the  Avork  of  Oakland 
on  their  hearts,  asked  us  to  hold  a  series  of  re- 
vival meetings  in  that  city.  As  this  was  out  of  the 
question,  every  date  having  been  promised  far 
ahead,  Sister  Montgomery  arranged  two  speciaj 
afternoon  meetings,  which  we  sandwiched  in  with- 
out interfering  with  those  of  San  Francisco. 

The  first  meeting  was  conducted  in  Ebell  Hall, 
the  second  in  the  great  ballroom  of  the  Hotel 
Oakland. 

Both  meetings  were  well  attended  by  members 
of  all  denominations.  Several  ministers  who  were 
there  expressed  their  longing  for  a  deeper  work 
and  a  melting  of  the  coldness  in  their  churches. 
A  Methodist  minister  and  a  Methodist  Episcopal 
preacher  both  gave  cordial  invitations  to  us  to 
come  and  preach  the  next  Sunday  morning. 

SAN  JOSE— "THE  GARDEN  CITY" 
Pastor  J.  H.  Sparks  and  his  assembly,  who  had 
been  preparing  and  looking  forward  to  this  special 
effort  for  months,  had  all  in  readiness.  The  Lib- 
erty Hall  was  filled  with  people.  All  were  hungry 
for  the  meetings  and  eager  to  help. 

The  way  in  which  these  California  saints  go  to 
work  to  advertise  a  meeting  is  an  inspiration. 
Almost  every  trolley  in  the  city  carries  a  big 
revival  meeting  banner  outside,  besides  the  cards 
within.  The  windows  of  the  shopping  districts 
have  been  placarded  in  every  direction.  The  city 
has  been  mapped  off  and  visited  from  house  to 
house  with  personal  and  printed  invitations. 

In  addition  to  th'e  daily  street  meetings,  auto- 
mobiles bearing  signs  and  banners  go  through  the 
streets.  Singers  with  guitars  and  banjos  and  big 

247 


THIS  IS  THAT 

base  drums  are  within,  whilst  a  brother  sits 
astride  the  engine  and  shouts  through  the  mega- 
phone of  the  soon  coming  of  Jesus,  and  bids  the 
astonished  populace  come  to  the  Liberty  Hall  and 
hear  all  about  it. 

Our  first  convert  was  a  poor  old  man  who  had 
spent  Saturday  night  in  jail.  Sunday  he  was 
saved  and  the  following  Monday  found  him  on 
the  front  seat  with  a  shining  face  and  a  glad  tes- 
timony. He  had  found  wrork,  and  promised  to  be 
true  to  Jesus. 

One  dear  Catholic  wroman  who  had  heard  about 
the  meetings  came  fifty  miles  to  be  saved.  With 
uplifted  hands  and  radiant  face,  she  joined  in  the 
march  about  the  building,  shouting  and  praising 
her  new-found  Saviour. 

A  newspaper  reporter  attended  every  meeting 
and  printed  the  greater  part  of  every  sermon  in 
the  daily  newspaper.  Ministers  and  church  mem- 
bers alike  came  to  hear  the  message;  souls  were 
saved  and  the  glory  came  down. 

WELCOMED    HOME. 

"When  are  you  coming  home?  WTill  meet  you/' 
was  a  message  recently  received  over  the  phone 
from  the  Los  Angeles  assembly.  "Home,"  why, 
'tis  the  first  time  in  years  we  have  had  such  a 
message  or  a  place  that  we  could  really  call  home. 

Thus  we  had  our  first  glimpse  this  week  on  a 
hurried  trip  to  Los  Angeles,  of  the  little  house 
which  we  have  beheld  by  the  eye  of  faith  from  the 
day  the  land  was  dedicated,  and  it  is  going  to  be 
just  what  we  need,  nothing  elaborate  in  any  way, 
but  it  will  be  a  home  nest  and  the  dear  saints  who 
have  toiled  at  it  faithfully,  have  been  so  Spirit- 
filled  that  with  the  hum  of  the  saw  and  the  tap 
of  the  hammer  have  gone  up  gbngs  of  praise  and 
victory,  and  prayers  that  God's  blessing  would 
follow  and  bring  us  safely  home. 

248 


LOS  ANGELES  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO 

It  has  been  indeed  a  labor  of  love,  and  our 
hearts  are  overflowing  with  gratitude  to  the 
precious  Father  who  hath  remembered  the  low 
estate  of  His  handmaiden  and  fulfilled  His  promise 
and  hath  done  exceedingly  abundantly  above  all 
that  we  could  have  asked  or  thought.  We  are 
looking  forward  today  with  greater  courage  and 
lighter  hearts  than  ever  before  to  the  work  of 
winning  souls  and  spreading  the  message  of  the 
soon  coming  of  the  Lord,  as  we  think  of  the  little 
ones  coming  home  from  school,  singing  and  play- 
ing happily  about  the  bungalow  and  praying  for 
the  Mother  as  she  comes  and  goes  in  the  Master's 
service,  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  Him  who 
raised  her  up  from  a  dying  bed  to  preach  the 
Word.  All  glory  to  Him  who  has  kept  us  within 
His  tender  care  until  this  day. 

And  as  we  are  looking  forward  now  to  taking 
our  children  to  this  haven  of  rest  which  loving 
hands  have  prepared,  we  know  that  if  we  are 
faithful  a  little  longer  we  shall  some  day  receive  a 
wireless  message  to  come  to  the  home  over  there 
which  our  Lord  has  gone  to  prepare,  and  shall 
rise  with  souls  who  have  been  redeemed  through 
obedience  in  preaching  the  Word — our  spiritual 
children — that  there  we  may  enjoy  together  the 
building  made  without  hands,  that  fadeth  not 
away,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 


249 


ROBERTA  AND  ROLF  WITH  THEIR  MAMMA 
send  you  their  love  and  will  you  please  pray  for  them? 


Part  II 

Testimony  of  those  touched  by  God 
in  our  Meetings 


THE     MIGHTY     POWER     OF     GOD     MANI- 
FESTED AT  MOUNT  FOREST,  ONTARIO. 

SISTER  E.   SHARP. 

"Blessed  is  she  that  believed,  for  there  shall  be 
a  performance  of  those  things  which  were  told 
her  from  the  Lord." 

These  words  were  given  to  me  while  we  were 
talking  over  the  work  of  our  mission  that  the 
Lord  led  us  to  open,  four  months  previously,  in 
the  town  of  Mount  Forest,  Ont.,  Canada,  in  the 
year  1915.  The  plougher,  the  sower  and  culti- 
vator had  done  their  work,  and  now  we  were 
expecting  some  fruit  from  our  labors.  As  believ- 
ers, we  were  looking  for  the  signs  following. 

Hearing  of  a  great  Pentecostal  campmeeting 
at  Kitchener,  Ont.,  about  sixty  miles  from  us,  1 
went  there,  and  at  that  meeting  met  Sister  Aimee 
Semple  McPherson,  whom  God  was  using  mightily 
among  those  hungry  seekers — my  heart  was  great- 
ly drawn  to  her,  and  one  night  while  we  were 
praying  in  a  tent  with  five  young  girls  who  were 
receiving  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Lord  spoke  to  me, 
saying : 

"There  is  the  one  for  your  work,  the  one  I  shall 
use  in  the  revival  I  promised  you."  I  spoke  to 
her  at  once,  and  the  next  day  she  received  the 
assurance  and  confirmation  from  the  Lord  that 
she  was  to  come. 

At  this  Campmeeting  the  Lord  used  her  to 
encourage  and  pray  with  my  Mother,  who  received 
the  Spirit,  whom  she  had  been  seeking  to  receive 
for  three  years,  also  my  brother  and  a  niece  were 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit  at  this  meeting 
through  her  ministry. 

253 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Before  the  close  of  that  Campmeeting  my  loved 
ones,  with  myself  and  about  sixty  others,  followed 
the  Lord  in  water  baptism,  in  the  river,  while 
multitudes  of  people  thronged  the  banks.  Sister 
McPherson  gave  a  soul-stirring  message  to  them, 
while  still  in  her  wet  garments.  About  seventy 
people  or  more  were  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  that  meeting,  through  her  instrumen- 
tality. 

Two  weeks  later  a  number  of  my  loved  ones 
planned  to  attend  a  Campmeeting  at  London,  Ont. 
My  daughter  was  anxious  to  go,  after  hearing 
that  so  many  young  children  were  filled  with  the 
Spirit  at  Kitchener.  (We  had  never  been  taught 
to  believe  that  children  could  expect  to  receive  the 
Holy  Spirit.) 

During  these  two  weeks,  in  answer  to  prayer, 
God  had  deepened  a  hunger  in  the  soul  of  the 
preacher  in  our  mission,  so  that  he,  with  my  loved 
ones,  went  to  this  Campmeeting  to  receive  this 
part  of  "that  which  was  spoken  of  by  Joel  the 
prophet."  I  received  a  letter  from  them  that  he 
and  my  daughter  received  the  Spirit  at  the  same 
time,  both  speaking  in  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave 
utterance,  also  that  my  nephew  had  been  baptized 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  previous  meeting,  and 
my  brother-in-law  and  his  father  both  were  filled 
with  the  Spirit  in  the  same  meeting,  after  Sister 
McPherson  had  almost  carried  the  father  there  to 
hear  his  son  speaking  in  tongues.  A  sister-in-law 
also  received  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  same  Camp- 
meeting. 

While  I  was  reading  the  wonderful  news  I 
began  to  shout  and  praise  the  Lord  in  such  a  way 
that  my  seven-year-old  boy  closed  the  doors  and 
windows  lest  I  should  scare  the  neighbors  and 
wake  up  the  town.  It  seemed  as  though  the 
floodgates  of  heaven  were  opened  on  my  soul,  and 
I  began  at  once  to  plan  for  our  own  meeting. 

254 


MIGHTY  POWER  OF  GOD  MANIFESTED  AT  MT.  FOREST 

SISTER  M'PHERSON  ARRIVES  AT  MOUNT  FOREST. 

The  Lord  would  not  let  me  advertise  these 
special  meetings  as  I  did  before;  I  just  announced 
that  Sister  McPherson  would  be  with  us  for  a 
short  time,  the  meetings  to  commence  on  Sunday. 
On  Saturday  evening,  on  my  way  to  the  station 
to  meet  the  Sister,  who  was  to  arrive  on  the  train, 
I  asked  the  Lord  for  a  confirmation  if  this  was  the 
beginning  of  the  revival  He  had  promised  me  a 
year  before,  if  so,  would  He  just  baptize  someone 
that  evening.  The  Sister,  on  her  way  up,  asked 
the  Lord  for  a  promise.  The  Lord  said:  "Every- 
one that  askcth  receiveth." 

THE   FIRE    BEGINS   TO   FALL. 

On  our  return  to  our  home  from  the  train, 
which  was  about  9  p.  m.,  we  found  the  home 
unexpectedly  filled  with  young  people.  We  at 
once  began  to  pray  and  sing,  and  presently  my 
boy,  ten  years  old,  fell  across  another  young  man, 
and  began  to  speak  in  a  language  he  had  never 
learned.  My  husband,  now  convinced  of  his  need, 
received  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  follow- 
ing Monday  morning  while  at  family  prayer,  and 
he  began  to  shout  in  other  tongues.  A  few  days 
later  rny  younger  boy,  seven  years  old,  received 
the  Spirit,  and  spoke  in  Chinese,  as  the  Spirit 
gave  utterance.  One  week  later  I  had  the  joy  of 
seeing  my  husband  and  three  children,  along  with 
many  others,  obey  "The  Word,"  by  being  buried 
with  Jesus  in  water  baptism. 

MULTITUDES  COME  RUNNING  TOGETHER. 

Very  soon  our  mission  could  not  hold  the 
crowds,  and  for  some  nights  Sister  McPherson 
stood  on  our  front  piazza  and  preached  to  the 
enormous  crowds  that  filled  our  lawns.  In 
answer  to  prayer  the  Lord  gave  her  a  30x60  tent, 
which  was  erected  on  the  lawn. 

255 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Shortly  before  this,  during  a  testimony  meeting 
at  the  mission  hall,  while  we  were  singing,  the 
mighty  Comforter  came  upon  me  with  power  and 
set  the  joy  bells  ringing,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
Holy  Spirit  fell  on  a  young  man  who  began 
shouting  : 

"Glory  to  Jesus !"  while  I  shouted  "Hallelujah !" 
The  young  man  began  to  shake  and  to  shout 
louder.  The  church  people  who  had  gathered  for 
the  meeting  became  alarmed  and  terrified,  and 
left,  telling  men  on  the  streets  that  I  was 
hypnotizing  this  young  man.  Presently  the  hall 
was  filled  with  mockers  and  scoffers,  and  with 
professional  and  business  men  of  the  town,  in- 
quiring, "What  meaneth  this?" 

THEY  WERE  ALL  AMAZED. 

One  doctor  pulled  the  brother  off  the  chair, 
opened  his  shirt  and  applied  a  piece  of  ice, 
wrapped  in  a  towel,  to  keep  the  fire  from  burning. 
Still  he  shouted: 

"Glory,  glory,  glory  to  Jesus !"  and  I  shouted 
"Hallelujah!"  The  lad's  parents  were  sent  for,  as 
they  were  told  "Jim"  was  dying.  Meanwhile  I 
was  shouting,  and  two  doctors  busied  themselves 
— one  of  them  placed  his  knees  on  one  of  the 
young  man's  arms,  and  the  other  doctor  placed  his 
knees  on  the  other  of  the  young  man's  arms — 
trying  to  hold  his  hands  quiet,  but  he  shouted  all 
the  louder,  until  his  father  came  and  dragged  him 
home,  and  our  meeting  closed  that  evening  with- 
out any  testimonies,  but  has  never  been  dismissed. 
This  had  been  the  first  time  the  Power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  fallen  in  our  mission  hall  or  in  any 
public  place  in  the  town. 

THE  LATTER  RAIN  FALLS. 

When  the  meetings  began  at  the  tent  it  was 
noised  abroad,  and  multitudes  came  from  different 
parts  of  the  country,  from  villages,  towns  and 

256 


MIGHTY   POWER   OF   GOD    MANIFESTED   AT    MT.    FOREST 

cities,  and  we  had  to  meet  every  train.  The 
promise,  "Everyone  that  asketh  receiveth"  was 
truly  fulfilled.  In  those  blessed  days  of  blessing 
and  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  many  did  not  even 
ask,  but  only  desired  the  gift,  and  the  Lord  bap- 
tized them  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

What  times  of  rejoicing  we  had  in  our  home  at 
the  rear  of  our  tent,  where  we  set  apart  our  large 
sitting-room  for  hungry  souls,  to  weep  their  way 
through  to  Calvary  and  Pentecost.  We  joyfully 
took  the  spoiling  of  our  goods,  to  see  the  dear 
tear-stained  faces  weeping  on  our  fine  upholstered 
chairs,  couches,  rugs  and  sofa  cushions.  When  I 
look  at  them  now  they  look  sacred,  even  to  touch, 
in  loving  remembrance  of  those  hallowed  hours, 
when  we  tarried  with  them,  when  we  heard  the 
heavenly  choir  singing,  as  we  joined  in  the  praise 
and  worship  of  the  King  of  kings. 

Our  Sister  had  wonderful  visions,  and  the  Lord 
gave  us  many  songs  through  her  while  she  was 
"in  the  Spirit."  The  Lord  gave  me  messages  in 
unknown  tongues,  and  gave  Sister  McPherson  the 
interpretation,  which  put  a  holy  fear  on  those 
who  had  wandered  away  from  God,  and  many 
were  convicted  of  sin  and  came  to  Jesus. 

HEALING  IN  THE  NAME  OF  JESUS. 

One  day  my  Mother  came  to  our  home  with 
her  foot  badly  poisoned;  she  had  suffered  much 
for  weeks,  but  the  Lord  Jesus  gave  victory  and 
healed  her. 

One  man,  the  toAvn-crier  and  bill-poster,  had 
three  running  sores  on  his  ankle  for  years;  the 
doctors  could  do  nothing  more,  and  wanted  to 
amputate  the  foot.  When  he  heard  of  the  healing 
power  of  God  he  came  along  to  have  some 
"Mission  Ointment,"  as  he  called  it,  applied.  We 
told  him  we  had  no  mission  ointment  but  the 
healing  ointment  of  Calvary.  We  prayed  and 

257 


THIS  IS  THAT 

laid  hands  on  him,  and  anointed  a  cloth  with  oil 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  wrapped  it 
around  his  leg  and  ankle  in  Jesus'  Name.  He 
came  back  the  next  day  and  told  us  he  felt  like 
needles  pricking  all  his  toes  and  ankle.  When  we 
removed  the  cloth  we  shouted  "Glory  to  Jesus," 
for  he  was  perfectly  healed,  and  all  the  blackness 
gone — he  walked  without  a  limp.  He  was  a  living 
testimony  in  the  town,  for  everyone  soon  heard 
of  his  healing. 

THE   OLD-TIME   POWER. 

One  Saturday  morning,  about  10 :30,  while  my 
hands  were  in  flour,  preparing  to  bake,  and  an- 
other lady  worker  was  sweeping,  with  a  big  apron 
and  dust-cap  on,  we  were  asked  to  come  out  to 
the  tent  to  see  my  husband,  slain  under  the  power 
of  the  Spirit — on  one  side  of  the  altar,  and  the 
town-crier,  who  had  assisted  him  in  the  tent, 
with  the  benches,  etc. — slain  under  the  power  of 
the  Spirit— on  the  other  side  of  the  altar. 

I  began  to  shout: 

"Glory  to  God,"  and  the  sister  shouted  and 
waved  her  hands.  Next  my  Mother  came  to  the 
tent,  and  she,  too,  commenced  to  shout.  Then 
came  our  preacher,  and  my  daughter,  and  Sister 
McPherson.  Everyone  of  us  was  slain  under 
the  power  of  the  Spirit.  The  tent  rapidly  filled 
with  scribes  and  pharisees,  scoffers,  policemen, 
doctors  and  hotel-keepers,  all  inquiring  what 
power  was  this,  or  who  was  the  cause  of  all  these 
people  being  mesmerized  and  hypnotized.  Even 
the  preachers  did  not  recognize  the  "Old-time 
Power"  which  they  had  been  praying  for  so  long, 
to  visit  their  churches;  it  had  come  so  rapidly  to 
the  little  crowd  of  humble  people  whom  they 
despised. 

THIS   IS  THAT. 

In  a  short  time  the  whole   town   was   stirred, 
258 


MIGHTY   POWER   OF   GOD   MANIFESTED   AT   MT.    FOREST 

and  all  rushed  to  see,  while  the  power  had  lifted 
from  all  but  the  town-crier,  who  was  made  the 
subject  of  much  criticism  and  examination  by  the 
doctors. 

All  the  while  Sister  McPherson,  who  had  re- 
gained her  feet  (she  had  been  slain  under  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  too)  was  preaching. 

"This  is  that  which  was  prophesied  by  the, 
prophet  Joel,  and  the  same  power  that  dear  John 
Wesley  felt  in  his  meetings,  before  the  'Amen 
Corner'  left  the  churches."  She  preached  the 
Gospel  in  its  simplicity,  decisively,  and  convinc- 
ing many  that  this  was  the  same  as  in  Acts  2. 
Others,  however,  mocked  and  said :  "They  are 
mad,  only  fit  for  the  asylum." 

HALED  BEFORE  THE  MAGISTRATES. 

We  shouted  and  praised  God  until  far  in  the 
afternoon,  when  I  was  served  with  a  summons  to 
appear  before  the  magistrate  that  evening  at  7 :30, 
which  hour  was  our  specified  meeting  time,  for 
praising  Jesus  with  a  loud  voice.  Oh  what  glory 
filled  my  soul  when  I  took  that  paper  from  the 
police  constable  for  the  sake  of  Jesus.  The  Lord 
was  good  to  me;  I  danced  around  the  constable  in 
the  Spirit.  This  brought  Sister  McPherson,  who, 
when  she  saw  me  dancing,  began  to  dance  around 
them  also.  He  went  away  remarking  to  others: 
"We  cannot  do  one  thing  with  these  women." 

The  Lord  was  with  us  in  the  Courtroom,  while 
listening  to  the  charges  against  us.  Of  course  I 
had  to  plead  guilty  to  the  charges  made  by  the 
scribes  and  the  pharisees,  some  of  them  being 
Methodist  Church  people  among  whom  I  had, 
been  a  worker  for  years. 

It  was  true  there  was  such  drawing  power  at 
the  tent  it  caused  people  to  look  out  of  the 
photographer's  window  so  that  he  could  not  get 
them  to  pose  for  their  photos,  and  he  was  conse- 
quently losing  money. 

259 


THIS  IS  THAT 

The  printers  and  compositors  in  the  pressroom 
were  also  attracted  so  that  the  editor  was  losing 
money. 

The  dressmaker  was  a  loser,  for  the  singing  got 
on  the  nerves  of  the  people,  and  she  had  to  go 
home,  ill. 

The  grocer  felt  so  bad  that  he  felt  like  shouting, 
too. 

But  a  dear  Catholic  expressman  would  not  put 
in  any  charge  against  us;  he  said  they  should  just 
let  us  go  and  obey  God  rather  than  men. 

The  Word  of  God  was  fulfilled  in  many  ways. 
The  Holy  Spirit  gave  us,  at  that  hour,  what  we 
should  say,  and  we  testified  to  the  wonderful 
works  of  God  in  our  own  souls  and  homes. 

The  Lord  sent  us  a  fine  man,  Kev.  J.  Clark,  a 
Methodist  minister,  who  had  been  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  at  Winnipeg,  to  witness  in  the 
courtroom  that  evening,  and  to  convince  the  mag- 
istrate that  this  was  of  God. 

While  we  were  in  the  courtroom,  Sister  Mc- 
Pherson,  with  a  band  of  young  converts,  con- 
ducted a  meeting  at  the  tent,  which  was  packed, 
and  an  immense  crowd  outside,  of  a  furious, 
angry  mob.  God  gave  her  the  message  of: 

"What  meaneth  this?"  and  "This  is  that"- 
gaining  them  every  moment,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
stilled  the  tempest,  and  the  meetings  were  adver- 
tised far  and  wide,  for  afterwards  large  crowds 
came  to  "see  and  hear." 

I,  hitherto,  had  possessed  a  man-fearing  spirit, 
and  shrank  from  noise  and  manifestations,  but  I 
praise  the  Lord  for  sending  Sister  McPherson  into 
my  life,  as  she  taught  me  how  to  praise  the  Lord 
and  to  get  out  of  bondage  to  man,  and  to  take  my 
liberty  in  the  Spirit,  for  "whom  the  Son  makes 
free  is  free  indeed." 

She  left  aside  all  doctrines,  but  lifted  up  Jesus, 
and  magnified  the  Blood,  truly  honored  the  Holy 

260 


TESTIMONY  OF  PASTOR  W.  K.  BOUTON 

Spirit,  and  preached  the  soon-coming  of  Jesus,  as 
we  had  never  heard  before,  and  our  dear  Lord 
honored  her  messages  by  saving  and  baptizing 
many.  The  effects  of  these  meetings  will  reach 
to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  This  year 
missions  have  been  opened  in  different  towns  by 
dear  ones  who  received  blessings  at  that  Camp- 
meeting. 

The  Lord  gave  us  many  precious  songs  through 
Sister  McPherson,  in  the  Spirit,  also  the  mes- 
sages in  prophecy:  Awake,  O  Earth!"  and 
"Jesus  is  Coming  Soon,"  were  given  through  her 
during  the  last  few  weeks  of  those  meetings,  be- 
fore she  and  her  husband  left  for  his  home  in 
Providence,  R.  I.,  where  they  together  began  their 
work  in  the  large  tent  donated  by  the  saints  of 
that  place. 

Surely  we  have  seen  "the  arm  of  the  Lord  re- 
vealed," and  the  Holy  Fire  came  from  Heaven 
with  slaying  power  when  our  floor  appeared  like 
a  battlefield  that  even  unbelievers  looked  on  in 
wonder. 

"He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  pre- 
cious seed7  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoic- 
ing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him." 

TESTIMONY  OF  PASTOR  W.  K.  BOUTON, 
FREE  GOSPEL  CHURCH,  CORONA,  N.  Y. 
After  preaching  the  Gospel  for  about  twelve 
years  with  marked  success,  I  began  to  realize 
there  was  something  needful  in  my  life,  but  did 
not  know  just  what  it  was.  I  would  often  say  to 
my  people :  "God  is  about  to  do  some  strange  thing 
in  our  midst,  but  what  it  is  I  do  not  know."  I 
felt  a  need,  but  thought  I  was  in  possession  of  all 
that  God  had  for  me,  except  that  I  must  go  on 
and  "grow  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord  daily,  line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept, 
here  a  little  and  there  a  little."  I  never  dreamed 

261 


THIS  IS  THAT 

of  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  thought 
those  days  were  passed;  in  fact,  I  was  taught  by 
the  teachers  under  wrhom  I  studied,  that  we  need 
never  look  for  supernatural  things,  those  days 
were  over  and  gone  forever.  Whenever  I  heard 
anything  about  the  Baptism,  or  people  speaking  in 
other  tongues,  I  would  say  it  is  an  error  and 
would  warn  my  people  to  have  nothing  to  do  with 
it.  We  were  having  very  good  meetings,  and 
scores  of  souls  were  saved.  We  hardly  ever  had  a 
service  at  our  church,  especially  on  Sundays,  but 
what  God  was  wonderfully  blessing  and  saving 
souls. 

NEW    LIGHT. 

About  this  time  one  of  our  members  came  and 
told  me  of  a  woman  who  was  preaching  in  the 
little  Swedish  Church  here  in  Corona,  He  said: 
"You  ought  to  hear  her,  she  speaks  in  other 
tongues,  and  it  seems  the  Spirit  of  God  is  won- 
derfully using  her."  I  warned  this  brother  to 
keep  away  from  these  meetings  and  told  him  he 
would  be  sorry  if  he  became  entangled  in  such  a 
bondage.  A  day  or  so  later,  a  sister  came  to  me 
with  the  same  news  and  told  me  to  be  sure  and 
hear  this  woman.  I  warned  the  sister  likewise. 
Then  two  other  members  of  my  church  came  and 
told  me  how  wonderfully  God  was  using  this 
woman,  and  said  one  of  our  members  had  received 
this  strange  blessing  and  also  spoke  in  other 
tongues.  I  said:  "If  she  does  this  kind  of  thing 
she  will  have  to  leave  our  church  for  she  cannot 
come  to  our  church  with  this  nonsense."  Soon 
two  or  three  others,  all  members  of  our  church, 
came  to  see  me  and  said  I  must  hear  this  woman. 
All  these  things  made  me  very  curious  and  so  I 
determined  to  hear  her,  not  because  I  believed  in 
what  she  said,  but  because  my  curiosity  was 
aroused.  The  first  time  I  heard  her  she  impressed 
me  as  being  honest  and  sincere  and  of  having  a 

262 


TESTIMONY  OF  PASTOR  W.  K.  BOUTON 

great  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures.  After  hearing 
her  the  first  time  I  came  home  and  told  my  wife 
how  I  felt  about  this  matter.  My  wife  said :  "You 
be  careful;  you  warned  others;  now  you  look  out, 
or  you  will  be  ensnared  in  some  of  these  latter 
day  errors."  But  I  found  myself  at  the  meeting 
the  next  night,  vastly  interested.  I  was  saying 
"Praise  the  Lord!"  and  "Amen"  to  many  of  the 
things  she  said.  When  she  spoke  of  the  falling 
away  of  the  churches  I  could  say  Amen,  when  she 
spoke  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord  I  could  say 
Amen,  likewise  when  she  spoke  of  the  tribulation 
to  come  upon  this  whole  earth.  I  could  also  give 
my  Amen  when  she  stood  for  a  clean  church  and 
for  a  people  wholly  set  apart  for  the  service  of 
God.  But  when  she  told  of  the  way  God  would 
baptize  us  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire  with  the 
outward  sign,  namely,  speaking  with  other  tongues 
as  the  Spirit  gave  utterance,  I  must  admit  I  could 
not  say  Amen,  for  I  did  not  believe  it.  When  I 
reached  home  I  "searched  the  Scriptures  to  see 
whether  these  things  are  so,"  and  to  my  great  sur- 
prise in  nearly  every  place  where  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  poured  out  I  found  they  spake  with  other 
tongues.  I  was  sorry  to  find  these  things,  because 
I  had  been  preaching  to  the  contrary.  I  contin- 
ued to  go  to  the  meetings;  somehow  I  could  not 
stay  away.  One  night  Sister  McPherson  spoke  of 
the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  the  gifts,  from 
the  12th  and  14th  chapters  of  I  Corinthians.  This 
settled  it  all  with  me;  I  was  sure  this  thing  was 
of  God  and  that  the  Lord  was  still  baptizing 
people  today,  as  He  did  in  the  days  of  the 
Apostles.  After  this  meeting  was  over  I  invited 
Sister  McPherson  to  come  to  our  church.  I  had 
not  consulted  any  of  the  Trustees,  nor  any  mem- 
bers of  the  church.  I  simply  took  it  upon  myself 
to  invite  her.  She  readily  accepted  the  invitation. 


263 


THIS  IS  THAT 
THE    BAPTISM    OF    THE    HOLY    GHOST. 

The  next  night  the  meeting  was  in  our  church. 
In  her  first  talk  Sister  McPherson  proved  beyond 
doubt  that  down  through  the  ages  the  church 
had  lost  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  and  she  likewise 
proved  that  God  was  going  to  restore  them  and 
was  restoring  them  now.  She  said  nothing  in 
particular,  however,  about  the  tongues.  We 
opened  the  meeting  again  the  next  night  and  told 
Sister  McPherson  to  say  anything  she  felt  led  to, 
and  immediately  she  preached  on  the  Baptism 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  with  the  signs  following.  That 
night  the  Lord  began  to  pour  out  His  Spirit  in 
a  way  we  had  never  seen  before.  All  over  the 
church  people  were  lying  prostrate,  the  altar  was 
filled  all  around  the  rail  and  down  the  aisles.  I 
confess  I  was  a  little  afraid.  I  had  been  praying 
to  see  these  things  and  now  as  my  eyes  were  be- 
holding them  I  was  half  praying  that  God  would 
stop.  I  feared  we  might  all  be  arrested.  I  think 
eighteen  or  nineteen  people  were  baptized  in  one 
of  the  first  meetings.  I  used  to  plead  for  people 
to  come  up  and  give  themselves  to  the  Lord,  but 
now  we  had  to  beg  folks  to  leave  the  altar  and 
make  room  for  others.  This  continued  for  two 
weeks,  every  night,  until  one  and  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  People  were  receiving  the  Baptism  and 
coming  through  speaking  in  other  tongues.  Sun- 
day School  Superintendent,  teachers  and  people 
from  other  churches  came  in,  God  making  no  dif- 
ference, but  baptizing  all  alike.  Most  everybody 
in  our  church  received  this  blessed  Baptism,  all 
the  officers  included,  except  myself.  I  could  tell 
others  to  praise  the  Lord  and  lift  up  their  hands, 
but  when  it  came  to  lifting  up  my  own  hands  and 
praising  the  Lord  I  realized  in  what  a  bondage 
I  was.  Nevertheless,  I  was  determined  to  have  my 
Baptism,  so  on  the  26th  day  of  November,  1916, 
after  the  meetings  had  been  going  on  for  some 

264 


TESTIMONY  OF  PASTOR  W.  K.  BOUTON 

time,  I  sought  the  Lord.  After  having  my  hands 
extended  for  about  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  and 
"seeing  no  man  save  Jesus  only/'  the  Lord  poured 
out  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  me,  and  I,  too,  began  to 
speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  utter- 
ance. It  seemed  as  though  heaven  had  opened 
and  I  had  entered  into  the  city;  I  heard  and  saw 
things  which  completely  revolutionized  my  life. 

DIVINE    HEALING. 

So  in  two  weeks  our  church  was  thoroughly 
transformed  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
we  began  to  see  new  things.  God  was  healing 
people.  Numbers,  which  time  would  not  permit 
me  to  speak  of,  were  healed  immediately.  One 
man  came,  into  the  meeting  with  heart  disease. 
He  had  had  many  doctors,  but  none  could  help 
him.  After  prayer  and  the  anointing  with  oil 
the  Lord  Jesus  healed  him.  Two  sisters  with 
very  large  tumors  came  for  healing.  One  of  the 
two  sisters  was  to  have  an  operation  in  a  week. 
The  tumor  was  on  the  back,  a  little  below  the  neck. 
After  prayer  and  anointing  with  oil  I  placed  my 
hand  upon  the  tumor.  I  could  feel  it  getting 
smaller  under  my  hand.  So  I  called  her  mother 
and  asked  her  to  feel  it.  She  did  so  and  immedi- 
ately threw  up  her  hands  and  praised  God,  for 
the  tumor  had  diminished.  O,  there  is  power  in 
Jesus'  blood,  and  the  "prayer  of  faith  does  save 
the  sick."  Praise  the  Lord!  The  other  sister  felt 
that  all  pain  had  left  her  and  she  said  she  was 
healed.  Another  brother  had  a  disease  for  years 
and  the  doctors  were  unable  to  help  him.  While 
we  were  anointing  him  with  oil  the  Holy  Ghost 
came  upon  him  and  he  began  to  speak  in  other 
tongues,  and  testified  that  God  had  immediately 
healed  him.  Another  sister  with  a  very,  very  bad 
case  of  catarrh  was  instantly  healed.  One  sister 
had  a  cancer  on  her  intestines,  of  which  an  X-ray 

265 


TPIIS  IS  THAT 

picture  had  been  taken.  Two  local  physicians  of 
this  town  had  diagnosed  her  case.  Her  bed  was 
prepared  at  Flower  Hospital,  but  Glory  to  Jesus! 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  God  healed  her.  This 
was  nearly  two  years  ago  and  no  sign  of  it  has 
ever  returned.  Praise  the  Lord !  There  are  scores 
of  others  which  could  be  mentioned,  but  suffice  it 
to  say  that  the  prayer  of  faith  does  save  the  sick 
and  the  Lord  does  raise  them  up. 

These  things  have  been  going  on  in  our  church 
for  nearly  two  years;  there  has  been  no  stop,  and 
the  power  of  God  is  manifested  meeting  after 
meeting.  God  is  still  saving  and  baptizing  people. 
At  the  present  time  of  writing,  twelve  souls  were 
saved  at  our  last  service.  When  God  has  His 
way,  souls  will  be  both  saved  and  baptized  in  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

FAITHFULNESS    REWARDED. 

Let  me  say  in  closing,  that  wherever  there  is  an 
honest  heart,  God  will  always  reveal  Himself  to 
such  a  one.  Wherever  there  is  one  "hungering 
and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  he  shall  be 
filled."  Truly,  if  "we  first  seek  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  its  righteousness,  all  things  will  be  added 
unto  us."  God  has  proved  this  to  me  over  and 
over  again.  I  was  a  poor  boy,  compelled  to  work 
for  a  living  at  the  age  of  eleven,  and  I  know  what 
it  is  to  be  hungry  and  to  want  the  necessities  of 
life.  I  know  what  it  is  to  be  without  shoes  on  a 
cold  winter's  day,  walking  the  streets  with  the 
snow  water  oozing  out  of  the  tops  of  little  shoes 
which  had  no  soles  on  them.  I  know  what  it  is 
to  go  to  school  with  my  sister's  waist  on  and  the 
other  boys  all  laughing  because  I  had  so  many 
buttons  down  the  back.  But  I  sought  Him.  and 
not  only  that,  but  He  sought  me,  and  praise  His 
Name!  He  found  me.  Today  I  have  my  own  home 
and  most  everything  heart  could  wish  for,  and  am 

266 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CAMP 

the  Pastor  of  a  spiritual  church,  "who  love  not 
their  lives  unto  death,"  but  Jesus  first  and  last. 

O,  how  thankful  we  are  that  God  ever  permitted 
Sister  McPherson  to  come  to  Corona.  God 
through  her  has  done  a  work  which  will  redound 
to  the  glory  of  God;  and  the  revival  is  still  on. 
Sept.  23,  1918. 

MEMORIES  OF  THE  CAMP, 

BY  ELDER  GEORGE  LLOYD. 

Ever  since  the  blessed  Camp  at  Philadelphia 
the  Spirit  has  prompted  me  to  write  and  try  and 
tell  of  some  of  the  wonderful  things  witnessed 
there.  And  that  is  the  most  difficult  part,  to  tell 
of  the  most  wonderful  things,  for  it  was  all  won- 
derful, and  our  God  was  there  in  mighty  power. 
It  was  not  the  great  number  of  definite  and  glori- 
ous healings  that  we  witnessed  that  appealed  to 
the  Spirit  most  urgently,  for  we  know  that  our 
God  is  a  mighty  God,  and  we  know  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  same,  yesterday,  today  and  forever. 
Praise  His  glorious  name!  And  we  know  that 
Jesus  can  and  does  heal,  and  that  He  loves  to  heal 
all  that  come  to  Him  in  true  penitence  and  faith. 

And  then  there  were  the  many  soul-searching 
messages  in  tongues,  with  prompt  and  beautifully 
true  interpretations,  many,  many  of  them.  And 
then  came  the  heavenly  drama,  with  various  and 
beautiful  acts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  shown  forth  by 
the  precious  saints,  for  they  were  in  the  Spirit. 
Glory  to  Jesus. 

And  the  great  number  of  converts,  it  was  glori- 
ous, for  we  never  witnessed  so  many  cases  of  clean- 
cut  salvation  before,  where  the  dear  ones  would 
come  weeping  their  way  to  the  altar,  some  falling 
under  the  power  on  their  way.  And  when  they 
had  prayed  through  they  were  ready  to  testify  to 
a  salvation  that  saves. 

267 


THIS  IS  THAT 

One  blessed  scene  comes  before  us  often,  and  we 
can  see  that  great  congregation  of  blood-washed 
saints,  with  uplifted  hands,  pouring  out  their 
hearts  to  God  in  earnest  prayer,  until  the  sound 
resembled  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  river  of  waters, 
in  its  volume.  And  when  the  spirit  of  prayer  had 
continued  many  minutes,  there  was  heard  a  new 
sound,  and  the  prayer  was  changed  to  a  song  of 
holy  adoration,  even  praises  to  our  King. 
Hallelujah ! 

And  as  the  holy  anthem  broke  forth,  Sister 
McPherson  seemed  to  float  toward  the  piano,  with 
uplifted  hands  and  transfigured  face,  and  com- 
menced to  play  and  sing  in  the  Spirit.  We  had 
heard  spiritual  songs  before,  but  never  like  this; 
never  such  tones  from  a  piano  had  our  ears  heard 
before,  and  as  verse  after  verse  of  the  holy  anthem 
was  given  to  our  Sister  with  tongues  and  inter- 
pretation, and  the  saints  who  were  in  the  Spirit 
would  all  join  in  the  glorious  chorus,  wre  w^re 
transported  with  ecstacy,  and  we  were  in  the 
Spirit  and  were  singing  the  New  Song  without 
any  effort  on  our  part. 

Oh,  the  precious,  heavenly  music!  Who  can  in 
any  way  describe  it?  We  could  only  compare  it 
to  an  geolian  harp  with  its  rising  and  falling 
cadence,  and  its  sweet,  blended  harmonies,  only 
far  sweeter  and  more  pure  in  tone  than  the  finest 
pipe  organ,  for  this  w^as  the  Holy  Ghost  playing 
upon  God's  great  instrument  not  made  with 
hands.  Glory  to  Jesus! 

So  the  glory  seemed  to  increase  over  the  white 
city  of  tents  until  the  last  great  day  of  the  feast, 
and  on  the  last  night  of  the  blessed  meetings,  when 
the  last  "God  be  with  you"  had  been  sung,  and 
the  congregation  was  dismissed,  there  remained  a 
large  class  of  disciples  who  had  tarried  for  their 
anointing  for  service  to  our  King.  The  dear  ones 
took  their  places  in  line,  waiting  patiently  and 

268 


A  MONDAY   NIGHT  MEETING 

prayerfully  their  turn  for  their  anointing  for  ser- 
vice until  the  early  morning  hours,  and  God  was 
very  near  with  mighty  power,  and  we  pray  that 
the  anointing  received  by  the  dear  ones  shall  go 
with  them  to  their  different  homes  and  assemblies, 
and  kindle  the  Pentecostal  fires  anew  and  keep 
them  brightly  burning  until  Jesus  comes. 

As  for  myself,  I  just  praised  God  for  the  anoint- 
ing that  remains  with  me,  for  I  am  conscious  of 
a  new  power  such  as  I  never  had  before,  and  a 
determination  to  give  all  that  I  have  and  all  that 
I  am  into  His  glorious  service.  And  as  we  left 
the  blessed  tabernacle  and  went  to  our  tent  and 
cot  for  an  hour  of  needed  rest  before  our  journey 
homeward,  we  looked  up  to  the  starlit  morning 
sky  and  praised  our  dear  Heavenly  Father  for  the 
glad  privilege  of  spending  twenty  days  in  Heaven, 
in  Whose  precious  Name  be  glory  forever.  Amen. 

A  MONDAY  NIGHT  MEETING. 

BY  PHOEBE  C.   BENT. 

One  week  of  the  Nation  Wide  Pentecostal  Camp 
Meeting  had  passed.  The  truth  had  been  working 
in  the  hearts  of  the  rough  element  that  lined  the 
outside  of  the  big  tent  each  night  in  great  num- 
bers. The  crowd  of  young  men  and  women  from 
the  neighborhood  had  come  to  mock  and  jeer  the 
work  of  God  this  Monday  night.  The  very  air 
was  charged  with  the  opposition  of  the  evil  one. 
which  drove  many  a  saint  to  get  under  the  bur- 
den and  lift  it  with  prayer.  If  the  adversary  was 
carefully  marshaling  his  forces,  the  Master  was 
more  carefully  organizing  the  saints  of  God  for 
the  great  struggle  to  come;  and  the  Master  has 
never  lost  a  battle. 

As  the  singing  progressed,  Sister  McPherson, 
inspired  by  a  revelation  from  God,  arose  to  her 
feet  and  gave  a  stirring  exhortation  that  the 

269 


THIS  IS  THAT 

saints  move  more  unitedly  together  against  the 
evilness  around  them.  Then  the  Holy  Spirit, 
knowing  what  was  needed  for  the  situation, 
changed  the  order  of  the  service. 

It  has  often  been  said  that  one  of  the  charms 
of  a  Pentecostal  meeting  is  that  there  is  never  any 
monotony.  You  never  know  what  is  going  to 
happen  next,  praise  His  name.  So  it  was  an- 
nounced that  a  number  of  leaders  would  give  their 
testimonies.  Have  you  noticed  in  the  accounts  of 
the  great  struggle  over  the  sea,  that  the  secret  of 
a  successful  offensive  lies  in  the  ability  of  the 
attacking  army  to  hurl  fresh  troops  into  the  fray. 
So  it  was  this  night,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  threw 
one  leader  after  another  to  the  front  with  their 
testimonies.  Some  were  not  even  allowed  to  finish 
their  story  before  they  were  moved  off,  but  the 
Master  had  His  way,  praise  His  name.  It  was  a 
hard  battle.  A  feeling  of  a  weight  almost  too 
heavy  to  lift  settled  over  the  saints. 

Then  came  the  sudden  orders  to  dismiss  the 
meeting  abruptly.  This  would  seem  like  defeat, 
yet  the  Lord  knew  just  what  was  needed.  The 
crowd  soon  melted  away,  after  the  benediction,  dis- 
appointed in  their  purpose  of  having  a  good  time. 
Then  Sister  McPherson  called  for  an  all-night 
meeting  of  prayer,  asking  for  those  who  would 
pray  through  to  victory.  Sister  Sisson  arose  and 
said  that 

"The  people  shall  become  our  bread.  This  oppo- 
sition on  their  part  has  driven  us  to  our  knees  in 
this  all  night  of  prayer.  'Why  do  the  heathen 
rage,  and  the  penile  imagine  a  vain  thing?  The 
kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves,  and  the  rulers 
take  counsel  together  against  the  Lord,  and  against 
His  anointed.  He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall 
laugh.'  Yes,  God  laughs — He  has  given  us  a 
chance  to  get  His  coin.  Can't  you  hear  His  coin 
clink?  Help  yourselves,  children." 

270 


A  MONDAY   NIGHT  MEETING 

With  common  consent  every  one  sank  to  his 
knees  in  prayer,  and  for  two  hours  hearts  poured 
out  their  cries  to  Heaven.  Who  could  doubt  that 
those  in  prayer  moved  God  on  His  throne  in  behalf 
of  His  saints?  The  Holy  Spirit  placed  a  mighty 
soul-travail  upon  one  sister,  who  wept  and  moaned 
with  sounds  "which  only  the  Spirit  can  utter." 

When  the  praying  had  ceased,  Sister  McPher- 
son,  in  that  simple  way  of  hers,  said: 

"Now,  dear  ones,  just  let  us  be  quiet  and  see 
what  God  has  for  us."  From  the  silence  that 
followed  it  could  be  seen  that  the  Spirit  worked 
this  way  and  that  upon  different  ones.  Sister 
McPherson  had  retired  to  one  end  of  the  ros- 
trum, where  she  swayed  back  and  forth  in  a 
peculiar  step  or  dance.  This  continued  for  some 
time,  when  suddenly  she  moved  rapidly  to  the 
great  upright  piano,  and  began  to  play  in  the 
Spirit.  The  moment  the  first  strange  chord  was 
struck,  all  eyes  were  riveted  upon  her.  Wonderful 
music  flowed  from  the  keys  as  her  hands  flew  rap- 
idly to  and  fro.  Strange,  and  sometimes  weird 
heavenly  chords  were  struck,  that  never  man 
could  produce  in  the  natural — chords  that  struck 
to  the  very  soul.  After  a  wonderful  prelude,  she 
sang  a  song  about  the  Lord's  coming,  that  was 
perfect  in  rhythm,  rhyme,  and  metre. 

She  then  arose  and  gave  a  message  in  tongues, 
using  certain  things  to  emphasize  her  words.  She 
took  a  megaphone  which  stood  near  at  hand,  and 
filled  it  with  flowers  from  a  vase  on  the  pulpit, 
which  typified  the  "horn  of  plenty."  Next,  plac- 
ing the  flowers  on  the  floor,  she  watered  them  from 
a  pitcher,  showing  that  His  saints  would  be  re- 
vived and  watered  with  the  Latter  Rain,  which 
would  soon  fall  upon  them,  and  then  closed  with 
an  exhortation  to  get  ready  for  the  soon  oncoming 
of  King  Jesus. 

Immediately  after  the  message  followed  a  tab- 

271 


THIS  IS  THAT 

leau  of  the  crucifixion.  Sister  McPherson  took 
the  outstretched  hands  of  another  sister  that 
moved  in  the  Spirit,  and  made  the  motions  of  driv- 
ing the  spikes  through  her  hands  and  feet,  into 
the  cross.  Then  she  laid  her  down,  as  in  the 
tomb,  then  raised  her  up  as  in  the  resurrection. 
After  a  message  in  tongues,  she  gave  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  tableau  that  had  just  transpired 
before  them  as  f ollows : 

"Behold,  the  Lord  is  calling.  He  is  searching 
for  a  people  for  Himself.  He  is  calling;  who  will 
follow  Him?  Who  will  be  willing  to  go  all  the 
way?  Such  a  one  will  reign  with  Me.  Wilt  thou, 
wilt  thou  folloAv  Me?  Behold  the  way  is  long; 
the  night  is  dark ;  the  road  is  thorny ;  yet  trust 
thou  Me.  I  will  be  with  thee.  Behold,  wilt  thou 
follow  Me,  wilt  thou  go  with  Me  through  Gol- 
gotha? Wilt  thou  go  with  Me  through  the  lonely 
way  of  Calvary? 

" Behold  thy  hands — thy  hands  that  are  busy 
with  the  cares  of  this  world — they  must  be 
nailed  to  the  cross.  Art  thou  willing  to  have  thy 
hands  nailed  to  the  cross?  Thy  busy  feet,  that 
have  walked  for  this  world,  must  be  nailed  to  the 
cross.  Thy  heart,  that  has  beat  for  this  world, 
must  be  pierced  for  Me.  A  new  heart  will  I  give 
thee.  Who  will  follow  Me?  Who  can  bear  the 
crucifixion  of  this  world?  Can  you  live  for  Me 
alone? 

"He  was  laid  in  the  tomb — then  did  His  enemies 
mock  Him.  Then  did  the  resurrection  come.  Be- 
hold! He  will  come  again.  He  will  give  thee  a 
crown  eternal.  Kejoice  in  Me,  for  the  City  is  in 
sight.  I  will  present  My  people  perfect  to  the 
Father.  Many  members  from  the  East  and  from 
the  North  and  from  the  West  and  South  shall  be- 
come one  body.  Little  children,  will  you  follow 
Me?" 

This  tableau  finished  as  the  first  early  signs  of 

272 


SOME  THINGS   WHICH   I  SAW 

(lawn  were  breaking,'  and  the  great  prayer  of  con- 
secration which  followed  from  the  heart  of  Sister 
McPherson,  seemed  not  only  to  take  in  her  own 
soul,  but  the  souls  of  the  whole  camp.  It  was  a 
time  in  which  the  hearts  around  her  melted  with 
that  sweet  sadness  that  only  a  contrite  heart 
knows.  This  prayer  seemed  to  close  that  wonder- 
ful Monday  night  of  prayer;  and  as  each  saint  de- 
parted there  was  not  one  who  doubted  that  a  great 
victory  had  been  won  for  God.  To  Him  be  all  the 
praise.  It  was  little  that  we  did;  He  did  it  all- 
glory  to  His  name! 

SOME  THINGS  WHICH  I  SAW. 

BY     ELIZABETH     SISSON. 

Yes,  things  which  I  saw  in  Sister  McPherson's 
tent: 

A  brother  injured  in  an  auto  accident,  for 
months  unable  to  use  one  leg,  instantly  healed, 
leaping  and  dancing  on  the  platform,  after  hands 
had  been  laid  upon  him  with  the  prayer  of  faith. 

A  blind  brother  was  so  far  recovered  that  he 
could  walk  about  the  tent  and  grounds,  could  see 
the  buttons  and  trimmings  on  a  lady's  dress,  and 
said  he  kept  seeing  more  all  the  time. 

A  sister  who  came  into  the  camp  on  canes,  had 
also  a  cancer,  has  been  walking  for  days  without 
sticks,  and  told  me  she  felt  the  healing  thrills  go 
through  and  through  the  cancer.  A  sister  very  ill 
with  serious  heart  trouble  was  instantly  healed  as 
she  went  forward  to  be  prayed  for;  the  healing 
came  before  the  hands  were  laid  on.  Another  left 
off  her  glasses,  got  her  sight  so  she  could  thread 
a  needle;  also  all  her  teeth  were  loose,  and  they 
have  come  in  tight  and  sound. 

A  Eoman  Catholic  lady  came  in  to  be  prayed 
for,  gave  her  heart  to  Jesus  and  was  healed.  But 
it  is  impossible  to  keep  track  of  the  cases,  they 
so  multiply  on  our  hands,  v 

273 


THIS  IS  THAT 

We  had  two  thousand  chairs  in  the  tent.  These 
were  all  filled  an  hour  or  so  before  preaching  ser- 
vice began.  Then  all  around  the  tent  they  stood, 
ten,  fifteen  deep,  in  profound  attention  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  or  two  hours.  Crowds  composed 
of  every  nationality;  all  the  Protestant  denomina- 
tions, and  the  Eoman  Catholics,  with  a  good 
sprinkling  of  clergy,  and  a  large  crowd  of  non- 
church-attendants.  God  certainly  advertised  the 
goods.  The  power  and  demonstration  of  the  Spirit 
was  wonderful.  That  "joy  of  the  Lord"  which  is 
"our  strength"  filled  the  place,  beamed  on  every 
face,  and  danced  in  the  eye  of  every  saint.  The 
"slain  of  the  Lord  were  many."  The  whole  altar 
was  filled  with  them  from  end  to  end,  daily  the 
most  wonderful  baptisms  in  the  Spirit.  Altars  at 
night  were  full  of  unsaved,  seeking  and  FINDING 
salvation. 


WONDERFUL     DOWNPOUR     AT     VICTORIA 

HALL. 

BY  PASTOR  W.   W.   FISHER. 

The  Latter  Rain  in  great  abundance  has  been 
coming  on  the  saints  since  the  sister  opened  her 
campaign.  Old,  dried-up  cases,  where  the  indi- 
vidual has  been  seeking  the  baptism  for  years,  have 
been  falling  under  the  power  of  God  and  coming 
through  speaking  in  tongues.  Backsliders  who 
failed  God  have  been  swept  back  into  life  and  are 
now  singing  His  praises.  I  never,  in  all  my  ex- 
tended ministry,  saw  so  many  slain  under  the 
mighty  power  of  God  as  have  been  observed  in 
the  prayer  room  after  the  call  was  given  for 
seekers.  It  has  seemed  so  easy  for  the  people  to 
yield  themselves  to  the  Spirit.  In  some  instances 
the  Evangelist  had  only  to  lift  her  hands  and  the 
power  would  tumble  them  over. 

In  the  large  Auditorium  Sister  McPherson  held 

274 


SAN    FRANCISCO    REVIVAL 

the  vast  throng  of  nearly  three  thousand  for  over 
an  hour  with  the  Gospel  message,  and  many  fol- 
lowed her  to  get  under  the  showers.  In  all  a  great 
revival  has  started  in  our  midst.  The  people  are 
letting  go  of  issues  and  doctrines  and  are  joining 
in  with  smiling  faces,  so  that  old  grudges  are 
being  settled  and  the  saints  are  getting  the  love  of 
God  restored  in  their  souls. 

The  messages  of  the  Lord,  as  given  through  our 
sister  are  witnessed  to  by  the  Spirit.  They  are 
the  kind  the  church  is  in  need  of  today.  They 
are  just  the  kind  of  messages  that  are  needed  in 
the  city  of  Los  Angeles,  where  much  spurious 
doctrine  has  originated,  and  where  the  Saints  are 
in  such  bewilderment  they  scarcely  know  what  to 
believe. 

The  Latter  Bain  is  falling,  some  say  even  more 
copiously  than  the  former  rain,  and  we  are  exceed- 
ingly glad  to  be  in  the  showers. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  REVIVAL. 
BY  ROBERT  CRAIG,  PASTOR. 

It  was  a  glad  day  for  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  in 
this  place  when  the  Lord  directed  our  Sister  Aimee 
Semple  McPherson  to  hold  a  series  of  meetings  in 
San  Francisco. 

Literally  towering  mountains  of  prejudice 
against  the  Pentecostal  movement  have  been  swept 
away  under  the  same  candid  and  forceful  presen- 
tation of  the  claims  of  the  full  Gospel  Message. 
How  many,  many  times  church  people  have  said: 

"This  is  just  what  we  have  wanted  and  is  just 
like  the  power  fell  fifty  years  ago,  except  for  the 
speaking  in  tongues." 

Scores  who  had  grown  faint  of  heart  over  the 
coldness  and  indifference  of  the  denominational 
churches  have  had  their  hearts  gladdened  and  their 

275 


THIS  IS  THAT 

spirits  refreshed  and  warmed  at  these  Pentecostal 
fires. 

Oh!  how  many  church  members,  and  among 
them  many  dear  Scandinavians,  have  been  swept 
thru  into  their  baptism. 

Many  Salvation  Army  people,  touched  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  have  come  and  received  the 
Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Acts  2-4.  Among 
them  several  officers  and  ex-officers.  Though  it 
may  mean  expulsion  for  them,  yet,  praise  God, 
they  bear  the  reproach  joyfully,  counting  it  a  priv- 
ilege to  thus  fill  up  a  measure  of  His  suffering 
which  remains. 

From  every  possible  angle  the  work  of  the  Lord 
at  Glad  Tidings  Mission  Auditorium  has  been 
greatly  strengthened,  deepened  and  settled,  for 
which  we  praise  our  Heavenly  Father. 

One  splendid  Baptist  minister,  who  will  now 
devote  his  life  to  the  Pentecostal  Ministry,  received, 
his  Baptism  as  did  also  Evangelist  A.  C.  Stevens, 
whose  testimony  now  rings  clear  and  strong  for 
Pentecost. 

Just  how  many  have  been  gloriously  converted 
in  these  thirty-three  days  eternity  alone  will  re- 
veal. It  has  been  a  deep  work  and  Ave  believe  that 
the  fruit  will  remain  forever. 

The  Healing  power  provided  in  the  Atonemen,t 
has  also  been  graciously  manifested. 

Quite  a  number  of  city  ministers  came  to  listen, 
wonder  and  view  the  marvelous  work  of  God  in 
the  large  prayer  room  strewn  night  after  night) 
with  the  slain  of  the  Lord,  and  hear  them  burst 
into  new  tongues.  Pity  the  man  who  goes  back  to 
his  church  to  fight  against  this  gracious  Heaven- 
sent Revival.  He  will  be  writing  his  own  epitaph. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  campaign  the  prayer 
room  was  much  too  small  and  little  prayer-groups 
could  be  seen  in  various  parts  of  the  building 
pointing  sinners  to  Christ.  This  beside  the  oft- 
times  crowded  altar. 

276 


Part  III 
Some  Sermons  and  Writings 

— of— 

Aimee  Semple  McPherson 


SALVATION  MESSAGES 


COME— IF— BUT 

"COME  now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord;, 
though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow; 
though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool. 

IF  ye  be  willing  and  obedient,  ye  shall  eat  the  good  of 
the  land. 

BUT  if  ye  refuse  and  rebel,  ye  shall  be  devoured  with  the 
sword,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it."  (Isa.  1:18, 
19,  20.) 


G-O-M-E;  I-F;  H-U-T;  How  much  is  expressed 
in   the    three   opening   words   of   the    three 
above  verses.    The  whole  Gospel  is  embodied 
and  expressed  through  these  concise,  plain  state- 
ments of  God.     First  of  all  let  us  take  the  word 

C-O-M-E. 

Dear  sinner,  Jesus  loves  you.  His  arms  are 
outstretched  toward  you,  His  voice  is  calling  you, 
He  has  prepared  a  glorious  Salvation  for  your 
body,  soul  and  spirit,  and  His  great  heart  and 
love  and  life  are  composed  of  one  great,  loving 
c-o-m-e !  c-o-m-e !  c-o-m-e ! 

No  matter  how  deep  you  may  have  fallen  into 
sin,  Jesus  says,  "Come,  I  will  forgive  you  and 
wash  you  whiter  than  the  driven  snow." 

No  matter  how  black  and  vile  your  heart  may 
be,  no  matter  how  evil  your  mind  and  filthy 
your  appetites,  or  how  strong  your  sinful  habits, 
COME,  and  I  will  take  away  your  sin-filled  heart 
and  give  you  a  new  heart — a  clean  heart  filled  with 
pure,  holy  thoughts;  I  will  fill  your  mind  with 
thoughts  that  are  in  heavenly  places,  and  your 
mouth  with  praises;  I  will  break  the  fetters  of 
every  evil  habit  and  cause  you  to  walk  forth  a 
free  creature  in  Christ  Jesus. 

281 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"No  matter  if  you  have  been  a  moral  professor, 
striving  to  live  well  in  your  own  way  you  must 
come  to  Me  just  as  you  are,"  says  Jesus.  "You 
must  be  born  again;  nothing  but  the  blood  can 
save.  All  your  righteousness  is  as  filthy  rags." 

Let  the  little  children  come,  the  aged  with  their 
white  heads  and  mis-spent  years,  the  colored  and 
the  white,  the  yellow  and  the  brown — come  unto 
Me,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  and  be  ye  saved. 
COME!  COME!!  COME!!!  The  call  goes  forth 
to  the  Queen  upon  her  throne  and  to  the  poorest 
wretch  in  the  convict's  cell  alike;  all  have 
sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God;  all 
have  need  of  His  great  salvation. 

Come,  let  the  weeping  tears  be  dried  and  the 
discouraged,  hopeless  soul  take  new  courage,  and 
find  new  hope,  for  Jesus  is  the  hope  of  the  hope- 
less. Plunge  beneath  the  crimson  flood  that  flowed 
from  His  wounded  side,  and  thou  shalt  know  that 
there  is  indeed  balm  in  Gilead,  and  gladness  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord. 

Let  the  giddy,  laughing,  thoughtless  sinner, 
dancing  on  the  brink  of  Hell,  be  sobered  and  come 
to  Jesus  in  repentance,  confessing  his  sins,  or  he 
will  be  eternally  lost  in  that  land  where  laughing 
and  dancing  are  never  known.  The  invitation  is 
extended  to  all  mankind,  irrespective  of  race, 
creed,  color  or  age;  all  alike  need  Jesus,  and  with- 
out Him  are  undone;  it  will  avail  nothing  to  gain 
the  whole  world  and  lose  one's  own  soul.  "Come, 
now,  and  let  us  reason  together,''  saith  the  Lord, 
"though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as 
white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson, 
they  shall  be  as  ?roo/."  No  matter  how  great  or 
how  small  your  sins  may  be,  Jesus  will  forgive 
and  pardon  you,  and,  better  still,  He  will  remem- 
ber them  against  you  no  more  if  you  will  turn  to 
Him  today  whilst  there  is  yet  time. 

282 


"COME — IF — BUT" 

I-F. 

"//  ye  be  willing  and  obedient,  ye  shall  eat  the 
(jood  of  the  land.'7  I-F — dear  sinner,  Jesus  has 
done  His  part,  He  has  sent  forth  the  great  call, 
"Come,"  throughout  the  world;  He  has  laid  down 
His  life  and  shed  His  blood  to  redeem  you;  He 
has  prepared  a  great  and  glorious  feast  and  builded 
a  glorious,  heavenly  city  for  you  to  live  in.  But 
now  we  come  to  the  great,  middle  word  of  our 
test,  "I-F."  It  does  not  look  like  a  very  big  word 
to  read  it,  yet  it  is  of  such  gigantic  proportions 
and  looms  up  such  a  mountain  that  your  whole 
soul's  eternal  salvation  or  damnation  depends 
upon  that  one  .little  word — "IF." 

God  has  left  you  a  free-will,  moral  agent;  He 
will  plead  with  you  to  come;  He  will  endeavor  to 
win  you  to  His  salvation  and  love,  but  He  will 
never  force  you  to  accept  it.  There  must  be  a 
Avillingness  upon  your  part  to  accept  this  Saviour 
as  your  Lord  and  King,  a  willingness  to  let  Him 
give  you  a  new  heart,  and  shape  your  life  and 
pattern  it  after  our  great  example,  Jesus.  Here, 
then,  is  the  whole  key  to  the  situation: 

"If  ye  be  willing,  and  obedient,  ye  shall  eat  the 
good  of  the  land."'  First — Willing;  Second — Obedi- 
ent, then  ye  shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land;  there 
is  nothing  too  good  for  the  Lord's  children.  Has 
He  not  told  us  that  "AH  that  I  have  is  thine"  1 
and  that  "no  good  thing  will  He  withhold  from 
them  that  walk  uprightly"?  The  good  of  the  land, 
with  its  joy,  its  peace  that  flows  like  a  river,  its 
heaven  for  evermore,  are  yours  IF  ye  be  willing 
and  obedient  to  the  calling  and  commands  of  the 
Lord.  And  O,  His  yoke  is  easy  and  His  burden 
light.  Hallelujah ! 

B-U-T. 

But,  then  we  come  to  the  only  other  alternative, 
the  solemn,  dark,  grim  punishment  of  the  wicked. 

283 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"But  if  ye  refuse  and  rebel,  ye  shall  be  devoured 
with  the  sword;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it."  There  are  only  two  paths :  one  leads 
to  life,  the  other  to  endless  death;  one  leads  to 
hope  and  joy,  the  other  to  despair  and  utter 
darkness. 

God  hath  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked, 
but  longs  that  all  should  turn  from  the  error  of 
their  ways,  hearken  to  His  great,  eternal  invita- 
tion, expressed  in  the  word  C-O-M-E,  be  willing 
and  obedient,  and  inherit  life  everlasting.  But,  if 
you  refuse  His  invitation,  and  rebel  instead  of 
obeying,  you  choose  your  own  path,  and  thereby 
seal  your  own  doom,  signing  your  own  death 
warrant,  and  shall  surely  be  overtaken  with  God's 
sword  of  judgment,  which  will  fall  upon  all  who 
have  rejected  Jesus  the  Christ. 

If  ye  be  willing  and  obedient,  and  become  a 
child  of  King  Jesus  by  being  born  again  and 
accepting  His  salvation,  you  will  dwell  in  the 
courts  of  His  glory  forever. 

But  if  ye  refuse  and  rebel,  and  choose  rather  to 
remain  in  sin,  and  continue  to  walk  on  as  the 
devil's  child,  you  will,  of  course,  share  in  the 
devil's  home  and  reward,  and  be  devoured  with  the 
sword.  The  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it,  and 
no  matter  who  has  tried  to  tell  you  destruction 
will  not  come,  nor  sorrow  overtake  those  who 
refuse  and  rebel,  they  cannot  change  the  true 
facts  of  the  case,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it. 

O,  dear  sinner,  heed  this  simple  message  today. 
Come  to  Jesus  as  you  are.  Will  you  not  kneel 
down  just  Avhere  you  are  this  moment,  and  cry 
out —  "O,  Jesus,  you  have  invited  us  to  come,  poor, 
wretched,  sinful,  vile.  O  Lamb  of  God,  I  come. 
Forgive  my  sins,  create  in  me  a  new  heart,  make 
me  obedient  and  true  to  You  forever.  Take  all 
desire  for  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil  from 

284 


"COME — IF — BUT" 

my  life,  and  create  a  right  Spirit  within  me, 
and  I  will  follow  You  wherever  You  may  lead  me, 
dear  Saviour."  You  will  feel  His  cleansing  blood 
applied  and  His  Spirit  will  bear  witness  with  your 
spirit  that  you  are  a  child  of  God,  and  with  His 
great,  eternal  arms  about  you,  a  new  life  will  open 
out  before  you,  and  you  will  find  your  feet  in  the 
path  that  leads  on  through  the  gates  of  pearl  and 
the  streets  that  are  paved  with  gold. 

May  God  bless  you,  and  help  you  to  accept  this 
great  invitation  at  once?  for  today  is  the  day  of 
salvation.  O,  harden  not  your  heart. 


285 


THIS  IS  THAT 

WHAT  SHALL  I  DO  WITH  JESUS? 

«'T'T~7'HAT  shall  I  do  with  Jesus?"    Clear  and 
l/l/    imperative  rang  out  the  voice  of  Pilate 
'   '         above  the  clamor  of  the  throng  assembled 
in  the  Judgment  Hall. 

"What  shall  I  do  with  Jesus?"  The  question 
was  flung  forth  over  the  mob  of  frenzied,  upturned 
faces. 

Fair  and  square,  demanding  an  immediate,  de- 
cisive answer,  this  question  of  momentous  import- 
ance resounded  through  the  court  room,  and  hung 
suspended  in  the  tense,  tragedy-laden  air.  From 
the  murmuring  sea  of  anger-tossed  accusers  was 
born  a  mighty,  unquenchable  tempest  of  bowlings 
and  ragings,  while  dark  faces  grew  darker  still 
with  blood-thirsty  fury  against  the  still,  calm  figure 
standing  so  meek  and  sweet  in  his  robes  of  flowing 
white. 

It  was  Jesus — this  pure,  mild  man,  standing 
there  friendless  and  alone  in  the  midst  of  this 
howling  rabble.  How  out  of  place  He  looked — 
like  a  tall,  sweet,  fragrant  lily  in  the  midst  of 
thorns  and  briers;  like  a  pure  little  lamb  in  the 
midst  of  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves,  with  bared 
fangs.  Dear  Lamb  of  God,  innocent,  and  unresist- 
ing, before  the  great  judgment  seat  of  Pontius 
Pilate  he  stood,  awaiting  the  verdict  of  those 
arrayed  against  Him. 

"What  shall  I  do  with  Jesus?"  What  decision 
would  they  render  upon  this  question — this  mo- 
mentous question — this  greatest  and  most  import- 
ant question  that  has  ever  been  decided  since  the 
world  began?  There  were  only  two  possible  ways 
of  answering — only  two  courses  of  action  open : 
there  was  no  neutral  ground,  for  had  He  not  de- 
clared that 

"He  who  is  not  for  Me  is  against  Me"?  Either 
they  must  accept  Him  as  the  King  of  Heaven, 

286 


WHAT   SHALL  I  DO   WITH   JESUS? 

Jesus,  their  Saviour,  or  they  must  crucify  and 
drive  Him  away  from  their  hearts.  Either  they 
must  accept  Him  as  their  Messiah,  their  Redeemer, 
or  they  must  reject  and  put  Him  to  an  open 
shame. 

Louder,  and  with  ever  increasing  determination, 
rose  and  fell  the  cry  of  the  people ; 

"Away  with  Him !  Crucify  Him !  Crucify  Him ! 
We  have  no  King  but  Caesar."  They  had  rendered 
their  decision,  their  choice  had  been  made;  they 
had  given  their  irrevocable  answer,  and  had  de- 
determined  to  crucify  and  put  their  Lord  to  an 
open  shame. 

Harsh  hands  fell  upon  the  gentle  Nazarene,  and 
rushed  Him  from  the  court.  Mercilessly  did  they 
tear  His  garments  from  Him,  and  bared  His 
precious  back  to  the  smiters.  He  meekly  bore  the 
cruel  lash — to  the  last,  stinging  blow — that  by 
His  stripes  we  might  be  healed.  A  crown  of 
thorns  was  thrust  down  upon  His  brow;  a  purple 
robe  put  upon  Him  in  mocking  derision.  He  was 
led  to  Calvary's  Hill,  bearing  His  cross,  and  cruci- 
fied by  cruel  men. 

They  crucified  their  Lord;  they  gave  Him 
vinegar  and  hyssop  to  drink;  they  spurned  and  re- 
jected Him  to  the  last.  And  He  bowed  His  head 
and  died — He  who  Avould  have  gathered  them  to 
His  bosom — He  who  would  have  been  their  King, 
and  have  taken  them  up  to  reign  with  Him  on  His 
throne. 

Pilate's  Judgment  Hall — the  very  name  calls  to 
memory  that  shameful  scene,  and  our  hearts  cry 
out: 

"How  cruel,  how  foolish  those  Jews  were  to 
reject  and  crucify  their  Lord — to  let  Him  stand 
there  on  trial  alone,  with  no  one  to  accept  Him 
and  stand  on  His  side!" 

Yet,  did  you  ever  stop  to  realize  that  the 
border  of  Pilate's  Judgment  Hall  has  been  enlarged 

287 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  its  Avails  have  widened  and  widened,  till  today 
this  whole  world  is  a  judgment  hall — Jesus  is  still 
on  trial,  and  the  Spirit  is  echoing  and  re-echoing 
the  question : 

"What  will  you  do  with  Jesus  ?" 

The  whole  world  is  obliged  to  answer  this  ques- 
tion, as  did  the  Jews  of  old.  Each  living  soul, 
irrespective  of  race,  color  or  creed,  must  take  sides 
either  for  or  against  Jesus.  There  are — today  as 
in  that  day  of  old — but  two  courses  of  action  open. 
Each  heart  must  answer  individually  and  defin- 
itely whether  he,  too,  will  cry : 

"Away  with  Him!  Crucify  Him."  Or  whether 
he  will  open  his  heart's  door  and  let  Him  enter  as 
King  of  Kings  and  crown  Him  with  love  and 
allegiance. 

Perhaps  some  reader  cries  out  in  horror: 

"Oh !  We  would  never  crucify  Jesus — we  would 
never  think  of  driving  the  nails  in  His  hands!" 
But  consider  a  moment,  dear  one.  If  you  have  not 
accepted  Him  as  your  Saviour  from  all  sin  and 
unrighteousness,  if  you  have  not  come  to  Him  in 
repentance  and  had  the  blood  applied  to  your 
heart,  you  have  done  just  that — crucified  your 
Lord  afresh  and  put  Him  to  an  open  shame. 
Remember  he  who  is  not  for  Him  is  against  Him— 
neutral  you  cannot  be; 

Each  time  you  go  out  of  a  meeting  unsaved; 
each  time  you  go  to  bed  unrepentant;  each  neAv 
day  the  sun  rises  and  finds  you  unprayerful,  un- 
thoughtful  of  your  soul's  salvation,  you  are  crying 
out: 

"Away  with  Him!  Away  with  Him!"  O,  per- 
haps you  do  not  say  it  in  words.  But  actions  speak 
louder  than  words,  and  even  though  your  mouth 
may  speak  much  love,  if  you  have  not  uncondition- 
ally surrendered  your  heart  and  life  to  Him,  and 
permitted  Him  to  rule  on  the  throne  of  your  heart, 
you  are  unconsciously  answering  the  question — 

288 


WHAT  SHALL   I  DO   WITH   JESUS? 

"What  shall  I  do  with  Jesus?"  by  saying: 

"Away  with  Him!  Crucify  Him!  I  have  no 
king  but  self  and  the  world;  I  want  my  own  way. 
Away  with  Him!  Away  with  Salvation."  And 
another  voice  is  added  to  the  throng  rejecting 
Jesus. 

"In  what  way  am  I  saying  'Away  with  Him'?" 
you  ask. 

Why,  can  you  not  realize,  dear  unsaved  soul, 
that  every  step  you  take — every  foot-fall  that  re- 
sounds along  the  corridors  of  time,  apart  from 
Jesus — every  step  towards  worldiness  in  sin — is 
crying  out,  louder  than  you  could  ever  speak; 

"Away  with  Him ;  I  choose  the  world ;  I  have  no 
king  but  self."  Each  time  you  put  off  Salvation 
and  say: 

"Not  tonight,"  you  are  adding  another  thorn  to 
the  crown  which  you  are  making  of  your  life  and 
placing  it  on  His  dear  brow. 

We  are  all  making  a  crown  for  Jesus  out  of 
these  daily  lives  of  ours,  either  a  crown  of  golden, 
divine  love,  studded  with  gems  of  sacrifice  and 
adoration,  or  a  thorny  crown,  filled  with  the  cruel 
briers  of  unbelief,  or  selfishness  and  sin,  aad 
placing  it  upon  His  brow. 

Each  new  day  lived  in  holiness  unto  the  Lord; 
each  new  sacrifice  of  praise,  is  just  another  gem  in 
the  royal  diadem  writh  which  the  Christian  is 
constantly  crowning  the  King  who  sits  supreme 
on  the  throne  of  his  heart. 

Each  new  day  lived  in  sin  and  indifference  to 
Jesus  is  just  another  thorn,  another  cruel  brier 
the  sinner's  life  is  weaving  into  the  crown  he  is 
placing  upon  the  brow  of  the  friend  and  King  he 
has  rejected  and  driven  away  from  his  heart. 

Then  they  put  upon  Him  a  purple  robe,  crying, 
"Hail,  Jesus,  King  of  the  Jews,"  and  smote  Him 
with  their  hands.  Many  today  are  still  living  lives 
of  hypocrisy,  mockery  and  pretence;  many  are 

289 


THIS  IS  THAT 

putting  upon  Jesus  a  purple  robe  of  outside  for- 
mality; they  go  to  church  and  sing — "All  Hail  the 
Power  of  Jesus'  Name/7  but  by  their  lives  they 
smite  Him  with  their  hands. 

And  He,  bearing  His  cross,  went  forth  unto 
Golgotha,  and  there  they  nailed  Him  to  the  cross. 
The  great,  rugged  cross  was  stretched  upon  the 
ground,  and  Jesus'  dear  body  stretched  upon  that 
cross.  O,  sinner,  behold  that  man — the  Son  of 
God — with  the  kind,  resigned,  tender  eyes,  waiting 
to  be  nailed  there  for  your  sins :  See  those  rough, 
heavy  hands  seize  the  nails  and  place  them  to 
the  palms  of  Jesus'  hands.  Hear  the  great,  ring- 
ing blows  of  the  hammer,  as  the  nails  are  driven 
deep — crunching  through  flesh  and  sinew  and 
bones — deep  into  the  wood  of  the  cross  for  your 
transgressions.  Dear  hands — hands  that  had  fed 
the  multitude — hands  that  had  blessed  the  chil- 
dren, healed  the  sick,  raised  the  dead — faithful 
hands  that  are  knocking  at  your  heart's  door  just 
now  as  you  are  reading  these  very  words — they 
nailed  them  to  the  cross.  It  was  your  sins,  and 
my  sins  that  nailed  Him  there.  Are  you  still 
pushing  His  hands  away  from  your  life,  and  pierc- 
ing them  with  nails  of  scorn,  and  unbelief,  and 
pride? 

Then  they  drove  the  nails  through  His  feet — the 
feet  that  had  traveled  so  many  weary  miles  to 
bring  hope  and  cheer  and  light — and  He  was 
lifted  up  high  on  the  cross,  up  and  up,  suspended 
upon  those  cruel  nails  till  at  last  the  cross  sank 
with  a  thud  into  the  hole  that  had  been  digged  for 
it.  And  there  He  hung,  the  King  of  glory,  between 
earth  and  heaven,  in  shame,  alone,  for  us. 

Sinner,  dear,  how  high  you  have  lifted  Him  in 
open  shame — others  have  seen  you  reject  Jesus! 
O,  won't  you  receive  Him  just  now  as  your 
Saviour?  Will  you  not  love  Him  who  first  loved 
you? 

290 


WHAT   SHALL  I  DO   WITH  JESUS? 

See  that  beautiful  face,  more  marred  than  the 
face  of  any  other  man.  Hear  His  cry: 

"Lo,  I  thirst!  Give  me  to  drink."  They  offered 
Him  vinegar  and  hyssop — the  bitterest  of  their 
hatred  and  unbelief.  But  ah!  He  thirsts  for  the 
sweetness  of  their  love  and  adoration  and  accept- 
ance. What  are  you  giving  Jesus  to  drink — sweet- 
ness or  bitterness? — love  or  rejection?  Our  lives 
are  as  a  sponge,  either  absorbing  vinegar  and 
hyssop  from  the  world  and  the  devil,  or  sweetness 
and  fragrance  and  the  water  of  life — from  Jesus 
and  His  Word. 

Jesus  is  calling  anew  today : 

"Lo,  I  thirst!"  Dear  one,  what  have  you  to 
offer  Him  today  from  your  life — acceptance  or 
rejection? 

Jesus  cried:  "Father,  forgive  them;  they  knoiv 
not  what  they  do."  Oh,  sinner,  it  does  not  seem 
possible  that  you  could  have  realized  what  you 
were  doing  in  refusing  to  accept  Jesus,  and  per- 
sisting in  crying; 

"Away  with  Him!  Crucify  Him!"  Perhaps  you 
never  quite  realized  that  you  were  crowning  Him 
with  thorns,  and  crucifying  Him  afresh,  and  that 
he  who  is  not  building  up  for  Him  is  tearing 
down. 

What  will  you  do  with  Jesus  today?  How  will 
you  answer  this  eternal  question?  Jesus  is  stand- 
ing before  you  awaiting  the  verdict.  You  must 
judge;  you  must  render  your  decision,  for  or 
against — Jesus  or  the  World,  Life  or  Death. 
Judge,  and  choose  ye  this  day,  for  soon  this  whole 
scene  will  be  changed  forever.  The  sinner  will  be 
removed  in  a  hurry  from  his  judgment  seat,  and 
Jesus  will  mount  the  judgment  seat  to  judge  the 
nations.  The  graves  shall  be  opened,  the  sea  shall 
give  up  its  dead,  and  all  the  dead,  both  small  and 
great,  will  stand  before  Him  whom  they  have 
judged. 

291 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Everything  will  then  be  quite  reversed.  Instead 
of  it  being  a  question  of  "What  shall  I  do  with 
Jesus?"  the  question  confronting  each  sinner  will 
be,  "What  will  Jesus  do  with  me?"  In  that  great 
day  those  who  have  accepted  Jesus  and  made  Him 
ruler  in  their  lives,  will  be  accepted  of  Him  and 
sit  with  Him  on  His  throne,  but  all  those  who 
have  rejected  Him,  and  cried: 

"Away  with  Him  from  my  life,  I  have  no  time 
for  Jesus/7  will  be  rejected  then  by  Jesus.  He  will 
Himself  echo  the  sinner's  own  words; 

"Away  with  him;  'depart  from  Me,  I  never  knew 
you.'  Depart  into  the  home  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels." 

Those  who  gave  Him  to  drink  of  the  sweetness 
and  wine  of  their  love  will  drink  anew  with  Him 
the  wine  of  His  Father's  Kingdom,  but  those  who 
gave  Him  naught  but  rejection,  and  the  gall  of 
bitterness,  must  drink  the  cup  of  their  own  sin 
and  death  to  the  dregs. 

What  will  you  do  with  Jesus?  O,  accept  Him 
now;  seek  Him  whilst  yet  He  may  be  found;  call 
upon  Him  while  He  is  near.  Put  away  the  evil  of 
your  doings;  cease  to  do  evil;  learn  to  do  well; 
wash  you;  make  you  clean.  Accept  Him  as  your 
Lord  and  Saviour  just  now.  He  is  calling  you 
who  are  weary  and  sick  with  sin;  seeking  you  in 
tenderness.  He  is  whispering;  Come  unto  Me  all 
ye  who  are  weary  and,  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest.  Him  that  comcth  unto  Me  I  will  in  n<j, 
wise  cast  out.  Today  is  the  day  of  Salvation;  to- 
morrow it  may  be  too  late,  for  He  is  coming  soon 
to  earth  again,  coming  with  power  and  great  glory. 
Get  ready  to  meet  Him. 


292 


WHICH  WILL  YOU  CHOOSE? 


WHICH  ROAD? 

WHICH  ROAD? 

ONLY    TWO    ROADS    IN    LIFE:    UPON    WHICH    ARE    YOU? 

SEARCH  where  you  may,  the  wide  world  over, 
there  are  only  two  roads  to  be  found  in  this 
life. 

One  road  leads  to  Heaven;  the  other  road  leads 
to  Hell.  The  first  road  leads  to  everlasting  life, 
the  second  to  everlasting  death.  The  one  to  joy 
and  peace  and  eternal  day;  the  other  to  eternal 
sorrow  and  darkest  night  and  destruction. 

Every  man,  woman  and  child  in  this  world, 
irrespective  of  race,  color  or  creed,  is  at  this  very 
moment  traveling  either  the  one  or  the  other  of 
these  two  roads.  In  other  words,  every  individual 
living  is  either  on  the  road  to  heaven  and  life,  or 
upon  the  road  that  leads  to  Hell  and  death. 

I  am  just  a  plain  body,  that  believes  in  stating 
a  plain  fact  in  plain  words.  It  is  time  that 
preachers  stopped  sugar-coating  and  misconstruing 
God's  Word;  time  they  stopped  preaching  politics 
and  oyster  suppers  and  began  to  preach  these 
plain  facts  that  are  so  simple  that  even  a  fool 
need  not  err  therein. 

First  of  all  let  me  give  my  text,  and  we  will  see 
what  the  Lord  says'  about  these  two  roads,  their 
destinations,  and  the  pedestrians  thereon.  Jesus 
says,  "wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way  that 
leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be  which 
go  in  thereat;  because  straight  is  the  gate  and 
narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it." 

This  statement,  if  understood,  would  surely 
revolutionize  the  ideas  of  a  great  many  so-called 
broad-minded  people,  who  have  always  believed 
that  living  a  moral  life  or  being  a  church  member 
would  be  a  sufficient  passport  into  Heaven.  Being 
a  church  member  is  no  longer  a  despised  way,  but 
quite  the  opposite;  it  is  now  considered  quite 
the  fashionable  and  proper  thing  to  do.  Many 

293 


THIS  IS  THAT 

think  this  is  all  the  Lord  requires  of  us;  but  upon 
this  erroneous  belief  falls  the  Word  of  God  with 
a  startling  blow  that  overthrows  all  such  false 
security. 

Narrow  is  the  way  that  leads  to  life  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it.  O,  that  Christians,  as  well 
as  sinners,  and  cold  professors,  would  aAvaken  to 
the  reality  of  this  fact  and  get  one  glimpse  of  the 
countless  millions  pouring  into  eternity  every  day 
without  God  and  without  hope!  They  would 
spring  from  their  beds  of  ease  and  rush  into  the 
highways  and  hedges  to  compel  men  to  come  into 
the  narrow  way,  and  get  right  with  God  before  it 
is  too  late. 

The  Word  of  God  shows  us  where  these  two 
roads  start.  "All  were  born  in  sin  and  shapen  in 
iniquity."  "All  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God."  We  are  also  reminded  that  as  God 
"cannot  look  upon  sin  with  the  least  degree  of 
allowance,"  "the  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die." 
But  Jesus  took  our  place,  He  died  in  our  stead, 
thereby  opening  a  new  and  a  living  way,  the 
narrow  way,  into  the  presence  of  the  Father. 

O,  sinner  friend  here  tonight !  O  weary,  heavy- 
laden  pilgrim !  halt  a  moment  and  consider.  Which 
road  are  you  on?  Are  you  traveling  towards 
Heaven  or  Hell?  We  all  entered  life  by  the  one 
and  self-same  road,  that  is,  we  were  all  born  in 
sin,  and  shapen  in  iniquity. 

Figure  one  on  the  chart  shows  us  just  a  little 
of  the  circle  which  represents  the  earth.  All 
having  been  born  under  the  curse  of  sin,  and, 
having  need  of  the  second  birth  ("Except  a  man 
be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  God."  John  3:5),  enter  the 
infancy  of  life  on  the  wide  road  marked  by  figure 
two  on  the  chart. 

Many  anxious  mothers  ask  the  question : 

"Sister,  what  do  you  think  becomes  of  the  little 

294 


WHICH  ROAD? 

babes,  and  children  who  die  before  the  age  of 
accountability?"  I  answer  promptly,  and  without* 
a  moment's  hesitancy — 

"I  believe  they  are  taken  to  be  with  the  loving 
and  compassionate  Jesus,  who  said:  'Suffer  the 
little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  and  forbid  them 
not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven'." 

But  there  comes  a  day,  possibly  most  of  you 
can  look  backward  along  the  road  of  time  and 
recall  that  day  for  yourself  when  the  little  heart 
and  mind  begin  to  know  the  difference  between 
right  and  wrong.  The  young  pilgrim,  after  run: 
ning  along  carelessly  from  infancy,  suddenly 
sights  in  the  distance  a  great,  old,  rugged  sign 
post,  that  has  stood  the  storms  of  many  genera- 
tions, but  still  stands  firm  and  unmovable.  This 
sign  post — the  Cross  of  Calvary — stands  just  at 
the  parting  of  the  way. 

Did  you  ever  notice  the  peculiar  and  wonderful 
shape  of  the  cross?  The  foot  points  to  the  earth 
and  humility,  and  to  the  fountain  filled  with  blood, 
as  though  it  were  saying — 

"Come,  poor,  tired,  troubled,  sin-sick  soul.  Lay 
down  your  burden;  plunge  into  the  fountain  filled 
with  blood.  Here  is  cleansing  for  the  filthy,  pardon 
for  the  sinful,  rest  for  the  weary,  peace  for  the 
troubled,  relief  for  the  oppressed,  freedom  for 
the  captive.  Just  throw  yourself  down  at  the  feet 
of  Jesus  and  He  will  make  you  whole." 

The  top  of  the  cross  points  upward  toward  the 
sky  and  heaven,  as  though  saying — 

"Lift  up  your  head,  poor,  weary  pilgrim;  lift  up 
your  eyes  to  the  heavens  above  you;  lift  up  the 
hands  that  hang  down;  strengthen  the  feeble 
knees;  say  unto  them  that  are  weak,  'be  strong 
and  of  good  courage,  for  He  who  died  upon  the 
tree  has  gone  up  yonder,  beyond  the  clouds  of 
glory,  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  that  where  He 
is  there  you  may  be  also/ ' 

295 


THIS  IS  THAT 

The  two  arms  of  the  cross  are  outstretched  as 
though  to  gather  the  whole  world  into  the  loving 
embrace  of  Him  who  said : 

"Come  unto  Me,  Oh  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  and  be 
ye  saved." 

Thank  God  for  such  a  sign-post  to  reveal  the 
way  of  pardon  and  point  out  the  narrow  heaven- 
bound  road  to  the  sin-sick  soul. 

Figure  three  on  the  chart  shows. us  where  the 
two  roads  divide.  Oh,  let  your  feet  pause  here, 
dear  one,  at  the  parting  of  the  way.  Don't  make 
a  mistake,  for  this  is  the  most  important  decision 
you  will  ever  be  called  upon  to  make  in  your 
whole  life.  Which  road  will  you  take?  One 
turns  to  the  left,  the  other  to  the  right.  One  leads 
to  heaven,  the  other  to  hell. 

Look  carefully  at  the  two  roads  as  depicted  on 
the  chart,  and  you  will  notice  that  the  broad  road 
which  leads  to  destruction  is  a  crooked  road,  so 
crooked  that  he  who  walks  upon  it  is  always 
unable  to  see  just  what  lies  ahead.  Each  new 
turn  of  the  road  he  finds  himself  committing  sins 
more  vile  than  his  conscience  would  have  permitted 
a  month  or  a  year  before.  Were  the  road  not 
crooked  he  would  be  able  to  see  the  flames  of  hell 
and  hear  the  weeping  and  the  anguished  cries  of 
the  lost  who  call : 

"Go  back!  Go  back!"  He  would  run  for  his  life 
to  the  refuge  of  the  cross. 

"Why  is  the  road  crooked?"  you  ask.  Because 
it  is  the  trail  of  the  serpent.  The  same  serpent 
that  deceived  Eve  in  the  garden  is  deceiving  the 
nations  today. 

"Why  is  it  crooked?"  Why,  because  it  is  im- 
possible for  a  serpent  to  crawl  straight.  The  devil 
is  crooked  and  he  will  deceive  you  at  every  turn 
of  the  road  till  at  last  he  has  plunged  you  into 
destruction. 

296 


WHICH  ROAD? 

Now  while  the  trail  of  the  serpent  leads  into 
hell,  'tis  the  way  of  the  cross  that  leads  home  to 
the  glorious  land  of  heaven.  Oh  'tis  a  heaven  to 
go  to  heaven  in  when  AVC  walk  in  the  shadow  of  the 
cross.  Hallelujah ! 

The  broad  road,  that  leads  to  destruction,  looks 
inviting  to  your  feet.  It  is  strewn  with  flowers 
and  worldly  pleasures.  The  so-called  broad-minded 
man  who  lives  on  the  broad  way  can  tell  you  of 
worldly  pleasures,  theatres,  dance  halls,  fashion, 
love  of  money,  popularity,  music  and  sin  to  be 
found  at  every  turn  of  the  road. 

They  could  tell  you,  if  they  would,  of  broken 
hearts  too,  of  drunkards,  and  harlots,  of  empty 
hearts,  and  misspent  lives.  They  could  whisper, 
too,  with  white  faces  and  scared  eyes,  of  ghastly 
deaths  they  have  witnessed  of  those  who  found  the 
wages  of  sin  were  death,  and  went  into  the  pres- 
ence of  their  father,  the  devil,  and  to  the  home 
prepared  for  him  and  his  imps. 

But  no,  they  will  not  tell  you  of  these  true 
facts,  but  tell  only  of  the  light  surface,  and  the 
tinseled,  varnished  side. 

THE  BROAD  WAY. 

That  downward  road  (figure  four)  is  broad  and 
easy  to  enter.  Just  a  little  disobedience,  a  little 
lie,  forgetting  to  pray,  wandering  from  God,  what- 
ever it  was  that  came  first  into  your  life — you 
remember  it — when  you  began  your  downward 
career  on  the  broad  way  that  leads  to  destruction. 
Perhaps  you  did  not  really  mean  to  go  far  on 
that  downward  path,  but  somehow  it  all  seemed  so 
easy.  One  sin  led  to  a  greater  one,  till  soon  you 
were  so  tangled  up  and  slipping  so  fast  it  seemed 
impossible  to  stop  and  go  back. 

It  is  so  easy  to  go  down  to  hell  and  destruction, 
just  a  toboggan  slide,  till  at  last  you  shall  aAvaken 
to  find  it  is  too  late,  unless  you  listen  now  to  the 

297 


THIS  IS  THAT 

warning  and  stop  and  return  to  the  cross,  that 
dear  old  weather-beaten  sign-post,  and  weep  it  all 
out  at  Jesus7  feet. 

THE  END  THEREOF  IS  DEATH. 

It  is  a  dreadful  thing  to  go  on  to  the  end  of  the 
broad,  sinful  road.  I  have  gazed  with  wide,  hor- 
rified eyes  into  bleary,  sinful  eyes  and  bloated 
faces.  I  have  marked  the  lines  of  sin  upon  the 
face  and  oftener  upon  the  heart.  I  have  seen 
the  great  chains  of  appetite,  the  prison  doors  of 
evil,  I  have  stood  at  the  death  beds  of  those  who 
had  rejected  Christ,  and  such  a  message  as  you 
are  now  hearing,  and  held  their  hands  with  a 
shudder  as  they  passed  out  into  the  dark,  without 
God,  to  reap  their  reward.  I  have  heard  those 
who  would  never  seem  to  sober  down  and  think 
before,  when  asked  to  accept  Jesus  on  their  death 
beds  cry  out: 

"Too  late!  Too  late!  I'm  lost!"  I  can  tell  of 
weeping  and  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  as  they 
died. 

The  proud  and  haughty  sinner,  the  infidel,  they 
who  have  declared  in  their  learning  that  there  was 
no  God,  no  hell,  no  heaven,  shall  have  to  pass  with 
the  drunkard  and  the  harlot  through  the  jaws 
of  death  (figure  five)  into  that  awful  home  pre- 
pared for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  There  shall  be 
weeping  and  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Their 
not  having  believed  there  was  such  a  place  will 
not  have  moved  it  or  taken  it  away.  "The  wages 
of  sin  is  death." 

DYING  WORDS   OF   THE   UNSAVED. 

Here  are  some  of  the  dying  words  of  the  un- 
saved : 

"Hell  is  a  refuge  if  it  hide  me  from  thy  frown." 
— Altamont.  4 

"I  would  gladly  give  thirty  thousand  pounds  to 
have  it  proven  there  is  no  hell." — Charteres. 

298 


WHICH  ROAD? 

"Give  me  more  laudanum  that  I  may  not  think 
of  eternity  and  what  is  to  come." — Mirabeau. 

"Oh,  my  poor  soul!  what  will  become  of  thee? 
Whither  wilt  thou  go?" — Cardinal  Mazarin. 

The  atheist  Hobb's  last  words  were:  "I  am 
taking  a  fearful  leap  into  the  dark." 

Voltaire  was  a  noted,  wealthy  infidel,  yet  his 
last  words  were:  "I  am  abandoned  by  God  and 
man;  I  shall  die  and  go  to  hell." 

Death  in  that  awful  place  where  their  worm 
dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched. 

"Oh,"  you  say,  "if  God  is  a  God  of  love  He 
would  never  cast  a  soul  down  into  hell."  No,  God 
will  not  willingly  cast  the  sinner  into  destruction, 
and  if  he  goes  to  hell  he  will  have  to  go  over  the 
body  and  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  who  died  to  save 
him ;  rejecting  -the  love  of  the  Saviour  who  did  all 
in  His  power  and  shed  every  drop  of  His  blood  to 
redeem  him  from  that  place  which  was  built,  not 
for  the  sinner,  but  for  the  devil  and  his  angels. 

Those  who  live  in  sin,  with  the  devil  as  their 
father,  in  this  world,  will  live  with  the  devil  as 
their  father  in  that  home  which  has  been  pre- 
pared for  him;  but  the  children  of  God  who  have 
owned  Him  as  their  Father  here  below,  will  live 
with  Him  in  His  home  in  peace  and  joy  for 
evermore. 

THE  NARROW  ROAD. 

The  other  road  (figure  six),  the  narrow  road, 
blest  road  of  light  and  life,  begins  at  the  cross. 
Jesus  is  the  door;  there  is  no  way  to  enter  but  by 
Him,  and  the  blood  He  shed  for  the  remission  of 
our  sins.  It  is  a  narrow  road,  there  is  no  room  to 
take  earthly  things  with  you;  there  is  just  room 
for  Jesus  and  you.  If  any  man  would  follow  Me, 
let  him  deny  himself  daily,  take  up  his  cross  and 
follow  Me.  It  means  a  right  about  face.  It 
means  being  born  again  and  being  made  a  new 

299 


THIS  IS  THAT 

creature  in  Christ  Jesus,  so  that  the  things  we 
once  loved  we  now  hate,  and,  Hallelujah!  the 
things  we  once  hated  we  now  love. 

In  order  to  enter  this  narrow  road  that  leads  to 
heaven  you  must  repent  of  all  sin,  make  things 
right,  straighten  up  your  back  tracks  as  far  as 
possible,  ask  Jesus  to  cleanse  you  from  all  sin  and 
unrighteousness,  and  "though  your  sins  be  as 
scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow;  though 
they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool." — 
Isa.  1 :18.  "For  he  who  cometh  unto  Him,  He  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out/7 

Those  who  travel  upward,  for  it  is  a  steady 
climb,  can  tell  you  of  joys  untold.  They  can  tell 
you  of  a  peace  the  world  can  not  give  nor  take 
away.  They  can  tell  you  of  broken  hearts  that 
have  been  healed,  and  sad  lives  made  glad.  They 
will  testify  to  you  of  salvation  from  all  sin,  and 
deliverance  from  all  bondage,  of  broken  chains, 
and  captives  made  free  in  Christ  Jesus.  They  can 
tell  of  the  baptism  with  the  Holy  Ghost  (Acts  2  :4) 
and  the  gifts  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit  in  their 
lives. 

I  have  in  this  road  also  looked  into  eyes  and 
faces,  but  they  were  filled  with  the  glory  and 
love  of  God.  Instead  of  evil  and  avariciousness, 
they  were  filled  with  tenderness  and  tears  of 
gratitude  to  the  blessed  Saviour  wrho  grows  sweeter 
as  the  days  go  by.  Glory!  Glory!  Glory!  Each 
step  you  take  in  this  road  brings  you  one  step 
nearer  heaven;  one  foot  says  "Glory!"  and  the 
other  says  "Hallelujah !"  and  with  a  pure  heart 
and  a  clear  conscience  you  are  on  your  way  to 
heaven.  O,  sinner,  where  have  you  such  joy  as 
this? 

THE  END  THEREOF  IS  LIFE. 

Here,  too,  I  have  stood  by  death  beds  and  in- 
stead of  convulsed,  fearful  faces  of  sinners,  I 

300 


WHICH  ROAD? 

have  seen  calm,  peaceful  faces  of  those  just  going 
to  rest  in  the  arms  of  Jesus.  Blessed  are  those 
that  die  in  the  Lord,  and  go  shouting  home  to 
glory. 

Here  are  the  dying  words  of  a  few  of  the 
saved : 

"Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit." — Stephen. 

"I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 
course,  I  have  kept  the  faith. 

Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of 
righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge, 
shall  give  me  at  that  day;  and  not  to  me  only,  but 
unto  all  them  also  that  love  His  appearing." — II 
Tim.,  4:7— Paul. 

"The  best  of  all,  God  is  with  us."— Wesley. 

"I  am  sweeping  through  the  gates,  washed  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lainb." — Cookman. 

"I  am  in  perfect  peace,  resting  alone  on  the 
blood  of  Christ:  I  find  this  sufficient  to  enter 
the  presence  of  God  with." — Trotter. 

"The  battle  is  fought,  the  battle  is  fought;  the 
victory  is  won." — Dr.  Payson. 

The  cross-bar  of  the  cross  (figure  seven),  repre- 
sents the  river  of  death  through  which  so  many 
saintly  feet  have  trod.  Oh,  what  a  Avonderful 
thing  to  have  Him  bear  you  up  that  the  floods  do 
not  overflow,  and  to  be  able  to  cry  with  Catherine 
Booth : 

"The  waters  are  rising,  but  so  am  I;  I  am  not 
going  under,  but  over." 

Just  beyond  the  waves  of  death  a  glorious 
crowrn  is  waiting.  Will  there  be  any  stars  in  your 
crown?  Do  you  not  long  to  be  a  soul-winner  for 
Jesus?  How  pitiful  it  would  be  in  that  last  day 
to  have  lived  the  most  of  our  lives  for  the  devil, 
to  have  given  Jesus  but  the  few  closing  hours  of 
life's  little  day,  and  to  be  obliged  to  go  empty- 
handed  without  a  single  soul  with  which  to  greet 

301 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  Master,  not  a  trophy  nor  a  jewel  to  adorn  the 
crown  that  you  lay  at  His  feet. 

Beyond  lies  the  glorious  city  of  Heaven  whose 
twelve  gates  are  each  composed  of  a  solid  pearl, 
whose  street  is  made  of  pure  gold,  as  it  were 
transparent  glass  and  the  foundation  of  whose 
wall  is  garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious 
stones.  The  building  of  the  wall  is  of  jasper,  and 
the  city  of  pure  gold  like  unto  clear  glass.  That 
land  has  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon 
to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of  God  doth  lighten  it, 
and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof. 

Here  there  shall  be  no  sickness  nor  crying,  no 
pain  nor  death  nor  sorrow,  no  misunderstandings 
and  no  heartaches,  and  there  shall  in  no  wise 
enter  into  it  anything  that  defileth  or  that  worketh 
an  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie,  but  they  which 
are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

Ah!  the  toils  and  thorns  of  the  way  are  naught 
to  be  compared  with  one  glimpse  of  the  glory  that 
awaits  us  in  that  beautiful  city  where  Jesus  wipes 
all  tears  from  all  faces,  and  there  is  no  more  night. 
Hallelujah!  the  very  thought  of  seeing  Jesus  sets 
my  whole  soul  on  fire. 

Who  ever  heard  a  sinner  saying,  "O,  I'm  so 
glad  that  some  day  this  life  will  be  over  and  I  am 
going  to  die  and  go  to  hell  and  destruction."  NO ! 
You  never  hear  them  anxious  to  talk  about  death 
and  punishment.  But  the  true  child  of  God  loves 
to  think  of  the  day  when  he  shall  lay  down  the 
cross  and  receive  the  crown. 

Between  heaven  and  hell  is  a  great  gulf  fixed. 
There  is  no  possibility  of  crossing  from  one  to  the 
other  after  death.  As  a  tree  falls,  so  shall  it  lie. 
Today  is  the  day  of  salvation — tomorrow  may  be 
eternally  too  late. 

Now  sinner,  stop,  and  decide  just  now,  which 
road  you  are  on,  and  which  road  you  choose  to 
journey  on  from  this  time  forward;  decide  which 

302 


WHICH  ROAD? 

home  you  will  dwell  in  forever — where  the  tire 
is  iiot  quenched  and  the  worm  dieth  not,  or  where 
no  weeping  shall  ever  be  heard,  but  singing  and 
rejoicing  and  joy  unspeakable  for  ever  and  forever. 

You  are  a  free-will  agent;  you  must  decide  for 
yourself.  Jesus  has  opened  the  way,  and  He  is 
holding  the  gate  open  wide  for  you  just  now.  O 
come  tonight,  dear  ones,  come  just  now.  Never, 
never  blame  Jesus,  or  say  He  sent  you  to  hell,  for 
if  you  refuse  to  be  saved  and  enter  in,  you  send 
yourself  there;  He  has  done  His  part.  How  He 
will  help  you  and  carry  you  through  if  you  will 
only  let  Him.  Just  now,  wherever  you  are,  He  is 
whispering, 

"Behold,  I  stand  at  your  heart's  door  and 
knock."  Open  to  Him  just  now.  Say,  "I  will 
arise  and  go  unto  my  Father."  Today  is  the  day 
of  salvation.  You  have  no  lease  of  tomorrow. 
Come  just  now. 

"Angels  are  lingering  near, 
Prayers  rise  from  hearts  so  dear, 
O  wanderer,  come." 


303 


THIS  IS  THAT 

BEHOLD,  THE  MAN! 

"Then  came  Jesus  forth  wearing  the  crown  of 
thorns  and  the  purple  robe,  and  Pilate  said  unto 
them,  Behold  the  man" — John,  19  :5. 

JESUS  has  promised  us  in  His  Word  that  He, 
if  He  is  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw 
all  men  unto  Himself,  and  before  beginning 
this  subject  today  I  cried  out  to  the  Lord  to  help  me 
to  sink  out  of  sight  and  to  lift  Him  up  above  the 
earth  until  you  should  see  no  man  save  Jesus  only. 

BEHOLD  the  man !  Behold  THE  man !  Behoid 
the  MAN !  I  would  like  to  repeat  it  over  and  over 
again,  until  I  catch  every  wandering  mind  and 
bring  each  straying  thought  into  captivity.  Be- 
hold the  man.  Just  close  your  eyes  to  all  else 
for  a  few  moments. 

STOP  beholding  your  business — your  pleasure— 
your  home — your  earthly  cares  and  duties — your 
neighbor — whatever  it  may  be  that  has  been  ab- 
sorbing your  attention,  and  Behold  the  Man, 
Christ  Jesus. 

If  you  have  never  stopped  long  enough  before  in 
your  busy  life  to  behold  the  man,  the  Lamb  of 
God,  the  one  who  loves  you  more  than  any  earthly 
friend  loves  you,  I  want  you  to  behold  Him  NOW. 

I  am  sure  that  if  you  could  only  get  one  glimpse 
of  that  face  which  is  the  fairest  among  ten  thou- 
sand, if  you  could  only  catch  one  cadence  of  Hi*? 
voice,  sweet  as  the  rushing  of  many  waters,  if 
you  could  only  gaze  for  one  moment  into  the 
depths  of  those  tender  eyes  filled  with  understand- 
ing and  sympathy  and  love,  the  tears  of  love  and 
gratitude  would  spring  to  your  eyes,  your  heart 
would  fill  with  praise  till  you  would  never  wish  to 
cease  from  beholding  and  adoring  and  worshiping 
this  Man,  Christ  Jesus.  As  the  shades  of  dark- 
ness and  unbelief  are  driven  back  by  the  light  of 

304 


BEHOLD,  THE  MAN  ! 

the  sun  of  righteousness,  and  as  you  behold  the 
man,  you  will  find  new  beauties,  new  attributes 
and  graces  unfolding  themselves  before  your 
astonished  and  adoring  eyes  each  moment  you 
behold,  till  your  heart  bursts  forth  into  singing, 

" Since  mine  eyes  were  fixed  on  Jesus, 

I've  lost  sight  of  all  beside, 
So  enhanced  my  Spirit's  vision, 

Gazing  at  the  crucified." 

As  we  sweep  back  the  curtains  of  the  centuries 
and  look  back  through  the  undimmed  corridors  of 
the  past,  we  behold  the  Man  seated  with  His 
Father  upon  his  throne.  He  was  with  His  Father 
from  the  beginning — the  brightest  jewel  in  heaven, 
the  joy  of  the  Father,  the  delight  of  the  angels, 
the  light  of  the  temple,  the  only  begotten  Son, 
worthy  of  praise  upon  harps  of  gold,  and  the 
angels  fell  prostrate  at  His  feet  as  He  sat  in  His 
kingly  robes  and  splendor  in  their  midst. 

Behold  the  Man,  with  His  Father  when  He 
spoke  the  world  into  being,  and  set  the  sun,  the 
moon  and  the  planets  in  the  sky. 

Behold  the  Man,  filled  with  sorrow  on  that  mem- 
orable day  when  our  ancestral  parents  fell  into 
sin  and  because  of  that  sin  were  banished  from  the 
sight  of  God  under  penalty  of  death.  And  Avhen 
there  was  no  eye  to  pity,  no  arm  to  save,  none 
that  could  pay  the  ransom  price  for  their  redemp- 
tion, we 

Behold  the  Man,  saying:  "Father,  send  me,  I 
will  pay  the  price.  Without  the  shedding  of  blood 
there  is  no  remission  of  sins;  I  will  shed  my 
blood,  Father,  I  will  be  the  bridge  to  span  the  gulf 
'twixt  man  and  God."  Then  we  read  that  "God 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son  that  whosoever  belicveth  in  Him  should  not 
perish  but  have  everlasting  life." 

305 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Behold  the  Man,  standing  up  to  take  leave  of  the 
Father,  leaving  the  songs  and  the  adoration  of  the 
angelic  hosts,  laying  aside  His  royal  robes,  His 
sceptre  and  His  crown,  stepping  down  from  the 
throne  and  coming  all  the  way  from  heaven  to 
earth  for  you  and  me,  that  we  might  not  perish 
but  have  everlasting  life. 

Behold  the  Man,  conceived  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  coming  to  a  world  that 
found  no  room  for  Him  in  the  inn.  Behold  Him 
born  in  a  manger  amidst  the  most  deplorable  and 
humble  surroundings,  coming  to  reach  the  lowest 
and  the  poorest  of  sinners. 

Behold  the  Man  living  and  growing  up  with 
Mary,  His  mother,  and.  Joseph,  in  the  carpenter 
shop.  Behold  Him  at  the  age  of  thirty,  baptized 
of  John  in  the  river  Jordan,  ready  to  begin  His 
ministry.  Behold  the  Man  rising  from  a  watery 
grave  as  the  heavens  opened  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
descended  upon  Him  and  the  voice  of  God  spoke 
aloud  saying,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased."  Thus  He  entered  upon  His 
ministry  with  divine  authority  and  the  power  of 
the  God-head  resting  upon  Him  and  abiding  with 
Him. 

Behold  the  Man  tempted  in  the  wilderness  for 
forty  days,  tempted  in  all  points  like  as  we,  and 
yet  without  sin.  Behold  Him  turning  the  water 
into  wine,  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  Kingdom, 
healing  the  sick,  cleansing  the  leper,  raising  the 
dead,  opening  the  eyes  of  *  the  blind,  unstopping 
the  deaf  ears,  feeding  the  hungry  multitudes, 
calming  the  troubled  sea,  weeping  over  Jerusalem, 
forgiving  the  sinner,  giving  water  to  the  thirsty, 
healing  the  broken-hearted. 

Behold  the  Man — the  King  of  Glory —  walking 
in  humility  upon  this  earth,  footsore  and  weary. 
Behold  Him  praying  alone,  night  after  night  on 
the  mountain  side,  praying  for  you,  dear  heart, 

306 


BEHOLD,  THE  MAN  ! 

and  for  a  sleeping  world  who  would  never  appre- 
ciate nor  understand.  The  birds  had  their  nests, 
the  foxes  their  holes,  but  the  Son  of  Man  had  no- 
where to  lay  His  head. 

Behold  the  Man,  at  the  last  supper  when  even 
though  His  heart  was  aching,  even  though  He 
knew  the  hand  that  would  betray  Him,  and  the 
disciple  that  would  deny  Him,  even  though  He 
knew  that  all  would  forsake  Him  and  flee  away, 
His  thoughts  were  for  you  and  for  me  when  He 
vowed  that  He  would  drink  no  more  of  the  fruit 
of  the  vine  until  He  drank  it  anew  with  us  in  His 
Father's  kingdom,  saying: 

"As  oft  as  ye  do  this  ye  do  show  forth  my  death 
'til  I  corned  Oh,  glorious  bridge  that  spans  the 
long,  silent  years  from  the  day  of  His  death  till 
the  day  He  shall  come. 

Behold  the  Man,  praying  in  the  garden  alone 
Avhile  His  disciples  slumbered  and  slept.  Behold 
His  agony  and  the  travail  of  His  soul  as  He 
cried:  "Nevertheless,  not  my  will,  but  thine,  he 
done.  And  being  in  an  agony  He  prayed  more 
earnestly:  and  His  sweat  was  as  it  were  great 
drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground." 

Behold  the  Man — bending  low  over  His  disciples 
in  His  sorrow,  craving  one  understanding  heart 
to  watch  with  Him.  But  He  found  them  sleep- 
ing and  said  unto  them :  "Why  sleep  ye,  rise  and 
pray."  "And  while  He  yet  spake,  behold  a,  multi- 
tude," pressing  on  through  the  gray  dawn  of 
morning,  coming  with  staves  and  swords  to  take 
this  Man — this  Jesus  of  yours,  and  mine. 

Behold  the  Man,  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter, 
and  as  a  lamb  before  his  shearers  is  dumb,  so  He 
opened  not  His  mouth.  Behold  Him  despised  and 
rejected  of  men,  a  Man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted 
with  grief.  Behold  Him  bearing  our  griefs,  car- 
rying our  sorrows,  wounded  for  our  transgres- 

307 


THIS  IS  THAT 

sious,  bruised  for  our  iniquities.     He  was  taken 
from  prison  and  from  judgment. 

Behold  the  Man,  condemned  to  die  by  the  mul- 
titude He  loved  and  longed  to  gather  in  His 
arms.  Behold  Him,  beaten  with  stripes  and  nailed 
to  the  cross.  The  crown  of  thorns  was  placed 
upon  His  brow,  the  Koman  spear  pierced  His 
side.  But,  Oh,  beloved,  hear  Him  cry,  "Father, 
forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they  do!"  Then 
when  the  debt  had  been  paid,  when  He  had  borne 
our  penalty  (death)  in  His  own  body  on  the 
tree,  hear  the  glad  triumphant  words  that  rang 
through  the  sky  that  hour,  and  still  resound 
through  the  earth  today: 

"IT  IS  FINISHED."  Then  behold  the  Man 
as  midst  rending  rocks  and  darkening  sky,  He 
bowed  His  head  and  gave  up  the  ghost. 

Behold  the  Man,  lying  wrapped  in  the  cold 
silence  of  death  in  the  tomb.  Then  in  the  early 
dawn  of  the  third  day,  as  the  first  gold  and 
purple  rays  of  morning  rose  in  glad  triumph  above 
the  hills  of  Jerusalem,  an  angel  from  heaven 
spread  his  great  white  pinions  and,  sweeping  down 
from  heaven  to  earth,  rolled  the  great  stone  away 
from  the  mouth  of  the  sepulchre. 

Behold  the  Man  resurrected,  rising  and  coming 
forth  again  to  look  upon  the  world — His  world, 
purchased  by  His  blood.  Behold  Him  again,  liv- 
ing and  loving,  walking  and  talking  with  His 
people,  feeding  the  hungry,  encouraging  the 
downcast. 

Behold  the  Man,  leading  captivity  captive,  as- 
cending on  high  to  give  gifts  unto  men,  saying: 
"It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away,  for  if  I  go 
not  away  the  Comforter  will  not  come.  But  if  I  go 
away  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless,  I  will  send 
another,  even  the  Holy  Ghost.  If  I  go  away  I  will 
come  again  and  take  you  unto  myself  that  where 

308 


BEHOLD,  THE  MAN  ! 

I  am  there  ye  may  be  also,"  and  the  clouds  re- 
ceived Him  out  of  their  sight. 

Behold  the  Man  seated  again  at  the  right  hand 
of  God  the  Father.  Behold  Him  standing  at  your 
side  just  now  as  revealed  by  the  Spirit,  hear  Him 
say:  "Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock, 
.if  any  man  will  open  to  Me,  I  will  come  in  and 
sup  with  him  and  he  with  Me."  Let  Him  in,  dear 
heart,  draw  nigh  to  Him  and  He  will  draw  nigh 
to  you.  Eeceive  the  Holy  Spirit  which  He  has 
sent  to  lead  you  into  all  truth.  Be  faithful  a  little 
longer.  Then  soon,  yea,  very  soon,  you  will 

BEHOLD  THE  MAN,  coming  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven  with  power  and  great  glory  to  take  you  to 
Himself,  where  in  the  midst  of  joys  unbounded  as 
the  waves  of  the  ocean,  we  will  behold  the  Man  by 
the  glassy  sea,  and  worship  in  adoration  at  His 
throne,  our  Redeemer,  bur  Bridegroom  forever- 
more.  Open  your  eyes  just  now,  dear  heart,  Oh! 

BEHOLD   THE   MAN! 


309 


THIS  IS  THAT 


BAKABBAS. 

"And  they  all  cried  out  at  once,  saying,  'Away  with  this 
man,  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas.' 

Now  Barabbas  was  a  robber,  who  for  certain  sedition 
made  in  the  city,  and  for  murder,  was  cast  into  prison." — 
Luke  23:8,  19;  John  18:40. 

JUST    these    few    vivid,    gripping    incidents- 
nothing  more  is  told  us  of  this  man  Barabbas. 
The  thick  shroud  of  mystery  that  envelops  both 
the  beginning  and  the  ending  of  his  life  is  undis- 
pelled  by  the  light  of  the  scriptures,  but  these  few 
bright  crimson  drops,  wrung  from  the  very  heart 
of  his  story,  as  it  were,   seem  to  cry  aloud  the 
tale  of 

Innocence  pursued  by  Temptation. 

Temptation  overtaken  by  Sin. 

Sin  pounced  upon  and  condemned  to  die  by 
The  Law. 

Stern  Law  conquered  and  its  grip  loosened  by. 
Jesus,  the  Substitute  and  Redeemer  who  died  in 
the  sinner's  place. 

Such  a  striking  type  is  Barabbas  of  the  whole 
human  race,  and  of  ourselves  individually,  that, 
as  we  stand  looking  down  upon  the  incomplete 
story  of  his  life,  it  seems  like  some  wondrous, 
fascinating,  unfinished  texture  stretched  upon  the 
loom  of  life,  its  riotous  colors  bespeaking  sun- 
shine and  shadow,  joy  and  sorrow,  tragedy  and 
triumph,  threads  frayed  and  hanging  from  the 
ending,  threads  loose  and  dangling  at  'the  begin- 
ning, as  though  inviting  the  onlooker  to  pick  them 
up  and  weave  again  the  history  of  the  whole 
human  race,  as  embodied  in  the  study  of  Barabbas. 

CHILDHOOD   DAYS. 

About  the  spring  time  of  every  child  Ave  love 
to  weave  the  white  threads  of  innocency,  a  godly, 
praying  Mother,  and  the  picture  of  a  little  white- 
robed  form  learning  to  pray  at  mother's  knee. 

310 


BARABBAS 

The  home  that  has  robbed  its  children  of  a  pray- 
ing mother  has  deprived  them  of  one  of  the  rich- 
est treasures  that  it  is  within  its  power  to  bestow, 
a  memory  which  money  could  never  buy,  nor  time 
destroy. 

Whether  Barabbas  had  a  praying  mother  or  not 
we  do  not  know,  but  we  long  to  think  of  her  as 
instructing  him  in  the  old  laws  and  the  prophets, 
weeping  and  praying  for  him  as  he  wandered  into 
bad  company  and  the  paths  of  temptation.  As  he 
grew  older  we  do  not  know  whether  or  not  he  was 
married,  but  there  may  have  been  woven  into  the 
loom  of  his  life  with  golden  threads  of  love,  a 
wife  and  a  beautiful  baby  boy,  but  one  thing  we 
are  certain  of,  and  that  is  that  he  was  led  into 
sin,  ever  deeper  and  deeper,  while  God  was  speak- 
ing to  him  and  the  angels  were  Avarning  him, 
saying, 

"BARABBAS,  BE  SURE  YOUR  SIN  WILL  FIND  YOU  OUT." 

Doubtless,  Barabbas  meant  to  call  a  halt  some 
time  in  the  near  future.  He  never  meant  to  go 
so  far  into  sin  as  to  be  caught,  cast  into  prison 
and  condemned  to  die.  Every  dark  cloud  of  warn- 
ing that  the  Lord  put  into  his  way  was  doubtless 
tinted  rosy  with  promising  colors  of  golden  wealth 
and  remuneration  by  the  devil,  as  he  was  led  on 
and  on  from  one  sin  to  another,  until  at  last  we 
read  that 

"BARABBAS  WAS  A  ROBBER." 

In  all  probability  his  robbing  started  in  some 
seemingly  simple  and  trivial  way,  some  tiny, 
childhood  theft  for  which  his  conscience  troubled 
and  accused  him.  At  the  second  theft,  a  little 
larger  than  the  last,  his  conscience  did  not  seem 
to  trouble  him  quite  so  much,  and  unbelievably 
soon,  his  soul  was  hardened,  until  he  became  the 
leader  of  a  band  of  robbers  and  started  up  insur- 
rection in  the  city.  He  may  have  chuckled  to  him- 

311 


THIS  IS  THAT 

self  and  told  his  colleagues  that  they  were  clever 
enough  to  evade  the  law,  and  that  they  never 
would  be  caught,  as  many  another  sinner  assures 
himself.  But  once  more  came  the  last  and  final 
warning : 

"Repent;  be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out. 
Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap. 
The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  surely  die." 

( Oh,  Barabbas !  What  a  striking  type  you  are 
of  our  foreparents  who,  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
when  first  tempted  by  this  same  sin,  stole  and  ate 
the  fruit  from  the  forbidden  tree.  No  doubt 
Satan,  in  the  form  of  a  serpent,  whispered  in  your 
ear,  as  he  did  in  the  ear  of  Eve,  saying: 

"Eat  thereof.  Ye  shall  not  surely  die."  And 
then,  guilty  and  sinful,  you  sought  to  hide  your- 
self behind  the  trees  of  deception,  and  to  assure 
yourself  that  neither  God  nor  the  Law  would  see 
nor  punish  you  there. 

But  just  as  surely  as  Adam  and  Eve,  shrinking 
guiltily  behind  their  covering,  heard  the  firm  foot- 
falls of  Almighty  God,  walking  through  the  gar- 
den to  meet  them,  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  just  as 
surely  as  God  called  'out,  saying : 

"Adam,  where  art  thou?"  just  as  surely  as  He 
discovered,  condemned,  and  punished  their  sin; 
just  so  surely  did  the  footsteps  of  the  law  seek 
and  overtake  you,  Oh  Barabbas!) 

Cunningly  the  devil  led  him  on  and  on  until 
one  day  he  found  himself  the  ringleader  of  an  in- 
surrection made  in  the  city  streets.  Then,  blinded 
with  demoniacal  rage,  his  blood  surging  in  tumul- 
tuous riot  through  his  veins,  his  reason  overstepped 
her  bounds,  and  quick  as  a  flash  a  heavy  blow  was 
struck;  the  limp  body  of  his  victim  fell  with  a 
sickening  thud  to  the  ground;  a  deep-dyed  thread 
of  crimson  was  shot  through  the  texture  upon 
the  loom  of  life,  and 

312 


BARABBAS 
BARABBAS  WAS  A  MURDERER. 

Swiftly  the  heavy,  relentless  hand  of  the  law 
fell  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  guilty  wretch,  stag- 
ing with  horror  upon  the  work  of  his  hands. 
Escape  was  impossible.  Mercy  was  out  of  the 
question.  The  Law  must  take  its  course.  Doubt- 
less the  trial  that  followed  was  fair  and  square 
in  every  respect.  Barabbas  was  G-U-I-L-T-Y. 
And  there  were  many  witnesses  to  prove  his  guilt, 
both  as  a  robber  and  as  a  murderer.  No  power 
could  avert  the  penalty  of  the  laAV,  nor  hinder  it 
from  descending  upon  him. 

To  and  fro,  back  and  forth  flew  the  shuttle  of 
time  across  the  loom  of  life,  UOAV  weaving  threads 
that  were  dark — sombre — mournful.  Was  it  with 
bated  breath  and  blanching  cheeks,  or  was  it  with 
a  thin  veneer  of  bravado  that  he  heard  the  awful 
sentence  pronounced  upon  him : 

"Barabbas,  you,  with  your  two  thieves,  who 
conspired  to  work  under  your  leadership,  are 
condemned  to  die,  and  shall  be  hanged  upon  three 
crosses  of  wood  on  Calvary's  hill  till  you  are 
dead." 

And  when,  plunged  into  the  blackness  of  the 
dark  dungeons  beneath  Pilot's  judgment  hall, 
chains  clanking  upon  the  damp  flagstones  as  he 
writhed  in  the  anguished  throes  of  remorse,  did  he 
cry  aloud? 

"Oh,  bitter  thongs  of  the  law !  Oh,  bands  and 
chains  of  justice!  Is  there  no  escape  from  thee, 
e'en  though  I  see  my  awful  error  and  now  re- 
pent?" And  did  the  voice  of  firm,  relentless  law, 
with  face  like  flint,  echo  from  the  haunting  mem- 
ory of  mother's  teaching,  "An  eye  for  an  eye,  a 
tooth  for  a  tooth;  the  Murderer  shall  surely  be 
put  to  death."  Sitting  there  in  the  darkness  of 
sin,  unable  to  help  himself,  beyond  the  help  of  mor- 
tal man,  the  chains  of  approaching  retribution 

313 


THIS  IS  THAT 

already  biting  into  the  flesh  of  his  body,  condemned 
to  die  without  hope,  nothing  to  look  forward  to  but 
death,  what  a  picture  is  Barabbas  of  the  whole 
human  race. 

BARABBAS  A  PICTURE  OF  THE  HUMAN  RACE. 

By  Adam  sin  entered.  The  first  sin  recorded 
was  that  of  theft;  Gen.  3:6.  The  second  sin  to 
be  recorded  was  murder.  Gen.  4:8.  God,  in  His 
infinite  holiness,  could  not  look  upon  sin  with 
the  least  degree  of  allowance;  the  soul  that  sin- 
neth,  it  must  die.  Death  and  eternal  despair  fol- 
lowed in  the  wake  of  sin.  A  great  gulf  had  been 
fixed  between  man  and  God,  the  strong  arm  of  the 
law  fell  heavily  upon  the  human  race,  and  after 
a  fair  trial  the  verdict,  G-U-I-L-T-Y,  was  brought 
in.  The  sentence  of  "death"  was  passed,  and  man 
was  plunged  into  the  dark  prison  of  captivity  be- 
neath the  judgment  hall  waiting  the  hour  when 
judgment  should  be  executed  upon  him. 

Oh!  that  someone  would  come  to  open  the 
prison  doors  of  those  who  were  bound.  Oh!  for 
an  arm  to  save,  one  who  would  bear  the  griefs 
and  carry  the  sorrows  of  a  sin-stricken  race,  one 
who  would  be  wounded  for  the  sinner's  trans- 
gression and  pay  the  sinner's  debt! 

Who  knows  the  thoughts  that  throbbed  through 
the  aching  brain  of  Barabbas  during  the  days 
that  followed,  the  stabbiugs  of  remorse,  memories 
of  other  days,  and  thoughts  of  what  might  have 
been,  the  sleepless  nights,  the  hopeless  days,  not 
one  ray  of  light  to  pierce  the  gloom!  Did  that 
awful  voice  that  had  pronounced  the  sentence  in 
the  judgment  hall  keep  ringing  in  his  ears : 

"Thou  shalt  be  hanged  upon  a  cross  of  wood 
on  Calvary's  hill,  thou  and  thy  two  thieves,  till 
thou  art  dead"?  Did  he  lose  all  track  of  time, 
till  his  ears  were  ever  straining  to  hear  his  name 
called  and  the  great  door  to  be  swung  wide,  the 

314 


BARABBAS 

hour  when  the  dark  silence  would  be  broken,  and 
midst  the  roaring  of  the  voices  of  the  rabble,  and 
the  piercing  light  of  day,  he  would  be  led  forth  to 
die  that  shameful  and  ignominious  death?  In  the 
silent  darkness  of  his  cell,  with  no  other  sound 
than  the  drip,  drip  of  the  sweat  drops  which 
came  from  the  ceiling  and  fell  like  tears  upon  the 
flagstones  at  his  feet,  did  the  vision  of  the  cross, 
his  cross,  rise  before  him,  ever  drawing  nearer 
and  nearer  as  the  hour  of  his  crucifixion  ap- 
proached? 

Steadily  on  and  on  the  shuttle  flies  across  the 
loom  in  sombre  and  desolate  colorings. 

Oh!  what  is  this!  The  threads  of  wild  terror 
and  panic  are  being  shot  across  the  loom!  Bar- 
abbas,  sitting  stock  upright,  rigid  as  though 
turned  to  stone,  listens  with  every  nerve  tense. 
Hear  it?  There  it  is  again;  it  is  his  name  they 
are  crying: 

"Barabbas!  Barabbas!  Release  unto  us  Barab- 
bas.  Bring  forth  Barabbas!  Barabbas!  B-A-R- 
A-B-B-A-S !" 

'Tis  the  voice  of  a  multitudinous  rabble,  ever 
growing  and  swelling  in  volume.  But  how  could 
he  hear  it  away  in  this  dungeon?  The  doors  must 
be  open.  Yes,  footsteps  are  echoing  along  the 
stone  corridors  that  lead  to  his  cell,  nearer  and 
nearer  they  sound,  swords  singing,  keys  jangling  on 
their  rings,  and  ever  as  a  background,  comes  the 
imperative  roar  of  the  mob  in  the  judgment  hall 
above,  a  roar  that  is  now  settling  into  a  steady 
chant  brooking  no  denial. 

"Barabbas!  Barabbas!  Release  unto  us 
BARABBAS ! ! ! ! 

Louder  and  plainer  comes  the  tread  of  the  sol- 
diers, until,  at  the  sharp  word  of  command,  they 
halt  before  the  cell.  The  rattle  of  the  ponderous 
key  in  the  door,  the  grating  of  the  lock,  the  creak- 

315 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ing  of  the  heavy  door,  and  then  the  expected 
words : 

"Conie  forth,  Barabbas,  another  is  to  die  in  your 
place  today.  You  are  a  free  man." 

Tell  me,  O  weaver  at  the  loom,  did  a  faint  ray 
of  hope  dawn  in  his  heart,  or  did  he  shrink  back 
and  cry,  from  the  anguish  of  his  soul? 

"Oh ! !  Do  not  laugh  at  my  calamity,  and  mock 
when  my  fear  cometh.  I  know  that  I  have  had  a 
fair  and  square  trial.  I  know  that  I  have  been 
proved  guilty  and  am  worthy  of  death.  I  Avill  go 
to  my  death  upon  the  cross,  but  Oh!  don't,  don't 
mock  at  my  calamity  and  jeer  at  my  hour  of  sor- 
row." And  did  the  keeper  reply: 

"  'Tis  neither  jest  nor  mocking,  Barabbas.  ?Tis 
true,  thou  art  a  free  man.  For  one  named  Jesus 
is  to  be  stretched  upon  your  cross  on  Calvary's 
hill,  'twixt  the  two  thieves  today.  With  mine  own 
eyes  have  I  seen  Him  tied  to  the  whipping-post 
in  the  court  without,  His  back  bared  to  the  smit- 
ers,  the  blows  of  the  cruel  lash  raining  upon  His 
shoulders.  They  are  now  leading  Him  up  the 
hill  to  be  crucified.  Come  forth!  Barabbas! 
Come  forth!  You  are  free!  He  shall  be  bruised 
for  your  iniquity,  and  the  chastisement  of  your 
peace  is  to  be  upon  Him.  He  will  die  in  your 
stead." 

A  FREE   MAX. 

Free?     FREE??     F-K-E-E???      Surely    his    ears 
could  not  hear  aright !     Surely  this  must  be  some 
horrible  dream  rising  up  to  torment  him. 
"Make  haste,  Barabbas,  come  forth!" 
Ah!   the   chains   Avere   loose   at   his    feet.      His 
hands  were  free.     The  biting  iron  that  had  long 
lacerated  his  flesh  was  gone.     One  trembling  step 
— two — three— and  he  was  almost  to  the  door,  but 
no  restraining  hand  had  fallen  upon  him,  no  voice 
had  jeered: 

316 


BAKABBAS 

"Ah,  Barabbas,  come  forth  and  pay  the  price. 
Thy  sin  hath  found  thee  out."  Four — five — six — 
he  had  gained  and  passed  the  door.  Seven — eight 
— nine  steps.  He  was  groping  his  way  along  the 
corridor,  stumbling  blindly  toward  yon  distant 
ray  of  light.  True,  the  soldiers  were  marching 
behind  him,  but  they  were  making  no  effort  to 
seize  him.  What  did  it  all  mean?  Surely  they 
Avould  seize  upon  him  at  the  last  moment.  But, 
no,  they  are  turning  off  in  another  direction  and 
he  is  left  alone,  walking  into  the  ever-growing 
light  that  pierces  his  unaccustomed  eyes. 

When  at  last,  reaching  the  yawning  doorway, 
clinging  to  its  portals  with  one  trembling  hand, 
and  shading  his  eyes  with  the  other,  what  were 
his  thoughts  as  he  gazed  once  more  upon  the  sun- 
light, and  once  more  heard  the  singing  of  the 
birds,  and  the  voices  of  children  round  about 
him?  Were  the  golden  threads  of  hope  and  new 
resolution  already  being  woven  into  the  texture, 
even  amidst  his  bewilderment? 

Oh  these  dangling  threads  that  hang  loose  from 
the  end  of  the  texture,  tell  me,  just  how  was  the 
story  finished?  Did  Barabbas  catch  sight  of  the 
throng  wending  their  way  to  Calvary's  hill?  Did 
he  hear  the  hissings  and  the  jeerings  of  the  multi- 
tude, and  see  yon  lovely  Man,  in  robes  of  white, 
fall  beneath  the  burden  of  the  cross?  Did  he  run, 
perhaps,  to  the  old  cottage  home,  and  clasping  his 
amazed  wife  and  little  boy  by  the  hand,  cry: 

"Oh,  come  with  me,  and  let  us  go  and  see  the 
man  that  is  dying  in  my  place.  Today  was  the 
day  set  for  my  execution.  Today  I  was  to  be 
hanged  upon  the  cross  and  die  a  felon's  death, 
but  another  man,  an  innocent  man,  is  dying,  dying 
for  me.  Oh,  come  and  let  us  go  and  look  upon 
His  face  that  we  may  fathom  the  mystery  of  such 
love." 

317  \ 


THIS  IS  THAT 
LET  US  GO  AND  SEE  THE  MAN. 

And  did  they  push  their  Avay  together  through 
the  throng  and  up  the  hill,  ne'er  stopping  till 
they  reached  the  foot  of  the  cross,  where  sobbing 
women  mourned  the  grief  of  Him  who  bore  our 
sorrows?  And  as  Barabbas  gazed  into  that  face 
most  fair,  and  saw  the  nails,  and  the  blood  drops 
streaming  down  from  brow  and  hands  and  feet, 
as  he  looked  into  those  eyes  of  deep,  unutterable 
love,  and  heard  the  words: 

"Father,  forgive,"  falling  from  those  anguished 
lips,  did  he  cry: 

"Oh,  Jesus,  thy  love  has  won  my  heart!  Yon- 
der are  the  two  thieves,  one  on  the  right,  one  on 
the  left,  but  there  is  the  middle  cross,  the  cross 
upon  which  I  should  have  died."  And  stooping 
down,  did  he  take  his  little  son  up  in  his  arms, 
and  pointing  to  the  cross  did  he  sob  in  his  ear : 

"Oh,  Sonny,  look,  that  is  the  cross  your  Papa 
should  have  died  upon;  that  is  the  place  where  I 
should  have  hung,  the  death  I  should  have  died, 
but  yon  lovely  Man,  whom  they  call  Jesus,  is  dy- 
ing in  Papa's  place.  Oh,  wife  and  son  and  Oh, 
my  heart,  let  us  ever  love  and  live  and  work  for 
this  Jesus  who  gave  Himself  for  me"? 

As  Barabbas  gazed  steadfast  into  the  eyes  of 
Jesus,  did  .the  face  of  the  Lord  turn  toward  him? 
Did  their  eyes  meet,  and  was  there  a  look  of  un- 
derstanding exchanged  between  the  two  that  broke 
Barabbas'  heart  and  held  him  captive  by  the 
chains  of  love  forever?  Did  he  fall  upon  hi? 
knees,  crying :  "Jesus,  how  can  I  ever  thank  you? 

Drops  of  grief  could  ne'er  repay 

The  debt  of  love  I  owe; 
Here,  Lord,  I  give  myself  to  Thee, 

>Tis  all  that  I  can  do." 


318 


BARABBAS 

Was  he  there  when  the  mangled  body  of  Jesus 
was  lowered  from  the  cross  and  laid  within  the 
tomb?  Was  he  there  upon  the  morning  when 
Jesus  appeared  to  His  people  and  ascended  up  in 
the  clouds  unto  His  Father's  throne?  Was  he 
among  the  hundred  and  twenty  on  the  Day  of 
Pentecost  who  received  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  went  forth  proclaiming  the  message  of  Jesus 
and  His  power  to  save? 

We  know  not  of  a  certainty,  but  one  thing  we 
do  know,  and  that  is,  that  Avhen  this  whole  world 
of  ours  was  wrapped  in  darkness  and  imprisoned 
by  sin  and  death,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  upon 
Jesus,  anointing  Him  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
poor,  to  heal  the  broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliv- 
erance to  the  captives,  recovering  of  sight  to  the 
blind,  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  and 
to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord.  We  do 
know  that  Barabbas  was  no  greater  sinner,  nor 
more  devoid  of  hope  than  this  whole  world  of  lost 
sinners,  and  that  Jesus  came  and  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  Him,  and  by 
His  stripes  we  were  healed;  that  when  we  like 
sheep  had  gone  astray,  and  had  turned  every  one 
to  our  own  ways,  the  Lord  laid  upon  Him  the 
iniquity  of  us  all.  He  was  oppressed  and  He  wm 
afflicted,  yet  He  opened  not  His  mouth.  He  was 
taken  from  prison  and  from  judgment.  He  was 
cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living.  For  the  trans- 
gression of  the  people  was  He  stricken.  He  made 
His  grave  with  the  wicked  and  with  the  rich  in 
His  death,  yet  He  had  done  no  violence,  neither 
was  there  any  deceit  in  His  mouth.  He  was  num- 
bered with  the  transgressors,  and  He  bare  the  sin 
of  many  and  made  intercession  for  the  trans- 
gressors. 


319 


THIS  IS  THAT 

MANKIND,,  IN  THE  DUNGEON  OF  DESPAIR. 
AWAITS  DEATH. 

By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and 
death  by  sin;  and  so  death  passed  upon  all  men, 
for  all  have  sinned.  Rom.  5 :12. 

What  a  hopeless,  miserable  dungeon,  man  had 
placed  himself  in  by  his  sin,  and  disobedience  to 
God.  No  matter  how  he  might  search,  there  was 
no  way  out.  The  great,  massive  DOOR  OF 
MERCY  was  the  only  hope.  The  Law,  stern 
jailer  that  he  was,  refused  to  open  that.  Be- 
cause of  one  man's  sin  Death  reigned  supreme  up- 
on his  throne  from  Adam  to  Moses.  ( Rom.  5 :14. ) 

Sitting  there  within  the  prison  cell  of  despair, 
there  came  the  day  when  the  people  which  sat  in 
darkness  saw  a  great  light,  and  to  them  which  sat  in 
the  region  and  shadow  of  death,  light  sprang  up 
(Mat,  4:16.) 

The  footfalls  of  Deliverance  were  heard  coming 
along  the  corridors  of  time,  Grace  (heaven-sent 
turnkey)  bore  the  key  of  divine,  sacrificial  love 
that  turned  the  lock  of  condemnation  and  swung 
wide  the  ponderous  door  of  mercy. 

Mercy  and  Love  (inseparable  pair)  stepped 
within  the  prison  cell,  and,  loosening  the  bands 
of  Despair,  and  breaking  the  power  of  Sin's  strong 
chains,  called  to  all  mankind : 

"COME  FORTH." 

"You  are  free  men;  another  has  died  in  your 
place,  one  named  Jesus  has  borne  your  cross  and 
paid  the  price  of  your  redemption.  Come  forth, 
come  forth.  Oh !  trembling  souls,  why  sit  longer 
in  the  valley  and  in  the  shadow  of  death?  Can 
you  not  understand?  The  door  is  open,  the 
chains  are  broken.  Barabbas,  BARABBAS, 
COME  forth !"  What  would  you  have  thought  of 
Barabbas,  had  he  refused  to  leave  the  dungeon, 

320 


BARABBAS 

choosing  chains  and  darkness  rather  than  lib- 
erty and  light?  What  opinion  would  you  have 
had  of  Barabbas  had  he  been  such  an  ingrate, 
so  void  of  appreciation  and  gratitude  that  he  did 
not  even  take  the  trouble  to  climb  blest  Calvary's 
hill  to  see  and  thank  this  Jesus  who  died  for  him? 

Jesus  died  for  you;  your  prison  door  stands 
WIDE,  the  Spirit  calls :  "Come  forth,  the  sunlight  of 
God's  love  and  mercy  awaits  you,  pardon  and  peace 
are  yours  for  the  taking.  Will  you  turn  just  now 
to  Calvary,  wend  your  way  to  the  cross  and  gaze 
into  the  face  of  your  Saviour,  that  face  which  was 
more  marred  than  the  face  of  any  other  man  ?" 

There  are  your  tAvo  old  companions,  Sin  and 
Death,  hanging  upon  the  two  crosses  beside  your 
Lord;  for  the  first  thief y  sin,  there  can  be  no 
allowance,  no  excuse — sin  must  die  to  you  and 
you  to  sin.  For  how  can  we  that  are  dead  to  sin 
live  any  longer  therein  ? 

As  for  the  second  thief,  at  the  eleventh  hour 
his  pardon  came,  when  death  was  swallowed  up 
in  victory.  For  the  sting  of  death  is  sin,  and 
when  our  old  companion,  sin,  is  dead,  then  it  is 
that  the  sting  is  taken  out  of  death,  and  the  ran- 
somed soul  can  cry:  "Oh!  death,  where  is  thy 
sting?"  Whether  the  body  sleeps  or  wakes  mat- 
ters not.  To  be  absent  from  the  body  is  to  be 
present  .with  the  Lord.  Verily,  I  say  unto  yon, 
this  day  shalt  thou  be  in  Paradise  with  Me. 

Yes,  dear  sinner,  Jesus  paid  it  all,  all  to  Him 
you  owe.     Turn  to  Him  just  now.     Thank   Him 
for  His  great  love  and  for  the  shedding  of  His 
precious  blood,  and  as  you  gaze  upon  Him  your 
heart  will  be  melted,  the  tears  will  fall  from  your 
eyes,  and  you  will  break  forth  into  singing: 
"My  Jesus,  I  love  thee,  I  know  Thou  art  mine: 
For  Thee  all  the  follies  of  sin  I  resign; 
My  gracious  Redeemer,  my  Saviour  art  Thou; 
If  ever  I  loved  Thee,  my  Jesus,  'tis  now. 

321 


THIS  IS  THAT 

A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN. 
Luke  10:30-35. 

THE  message  which  the  Lord  has  laid  upon  my 
heart  to  bring  to  you,  whilst  directed  to  all 
sinners,  is  intended  more  especially  for  the 
backslider. 

Oh,  there  are  so  *nany  backsliders  in  the  world, 
so  many  who  once  walked  with  the  Lord,  but  have 
someway  or  other  let  go  of  His  hand  and  have 
wandered  far  away.  There  is  not  a  man  or 
woman  on  the  face  of  this  earth  more  miserable 
than  a  poor  backslider,  who,  once  having  walked 
in  the  presence  and  joy  of  the  Lord,  feasting  upon 
the  dainties  from  His  bountiful  hand,  goes  down 
into  sin  and  seeks  to  drown  the  achings  of  his 
longing  heart  in  the  swirl  of  this  world's  gaudy, 
tinseled  pleasure. 

It  would  be  impossible  for  one  who  had  never 
been  a  backslider  to  fully  understand  or  sympa- 
thize with  the  mute  agony,  shame,  and  longing 
in  the  backslider's  heart.  /  was  a  poor,  discour- 
aged backslider  just  once  since  my  conversion, 
and  I  know  the  miserable  yearning  and  crying  of 
the  heart  to  be  back  in  the  sunlight  of  His  dear 
smile — the  leaking  out — the  trying  to  cover  up 
our  backslidden  condition  from  those  round  about 
us — the  plunge  into  the  world  to  try  to  stifle  and 
satisfy  the  restless  longing  that  nothing  but  Him- 
self can  satisfy. 

How  desperately  I  longed  for  someone  who 
could  enter  in  and  sympathize  with  and  help  me, 
and  had  there  been  someone  to  make  a  real  effort 
to  reach  out  and  help  me  back  to  victory  and  the 
security  of  His  Love,  I  would  have  escaped  much 
suffering  and  buffeting  at  the  hand  of  the  enemy. 

And  so  tonight  my  whole  heart  goes  out  to  the 
backslider,  and  I  long  to  reach  your  hand  and 
help  you  back  to  Jesus  and  the  city  of  Jerusalem. 

322 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

The  first  step  toward  getting  back  to  Jesus  is 
made  by  realizing  and  frankly  admitting  that  you 
are  a  backslider. 

We  are  going  to  read  tonight  about  a  certain 
man  who  went  down,  and  I  want  each  of  you  to 
watch,  as  we  follow  him  in  his  journey,  and  see 
whether  his  case  is  not  very  similar  in  every 
respect  to  your  own.  First  of  all  let  us  refresh 
our  memory  by  reading  the  whole  story.  It  is 
found  in  the  tenth  chapter  of  Luke,  beginning  at 
the  thirtieth  verse: 

"And  Jesus  said,  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jeru- 
salem to  Jericho  and  fell  among  thieves,  which  stripped  him 
of  his  raiment,  and  wounded  him,  and  departed,  leaving 
him  half  dead. 

"And  by  chance  there  came  down  a  certain  priest  that 
way;  and  when  he  saw  him,  he  passed  by  on  the  other  side. 

"And  likewise  a  Levite,  when  he  was  at  the  place,  came 
and  looked  on  him,  and  passed  by  on  the  other  side. 

"But  a  certain  Samaritan,  as  he  journeyed,  came  where 
he  was;  and  set  him  on  his  own  beast,  and  brought  him  to 
an  inn,  and  took  care  of  him. 

"And  on  the  morrow  when  he  departed,  he  took  out  two 
pence,  and  gave  them  to  the  host,  and  said  unto  him,  'Take 
care  of  him;  and  whatsoever  thou  spendest  more,  when  I 
come  again,  I  will  repay  thee'." 

Now  as  we  go  through  it  word  by  word,  and 
follow  the  picture  on  the  chart,  let  every  back- 
slider and  sinner  put  themselves  in  the  place  of, 
the  "certain  man"  and  find  their  location  in  this 
picture.  There  are  many  of  the  certain  men — 
and  women — who  have  been  "going  down,"  here 
in  this  room  tonight,  but  let  each  forget  the 
other — forget  that  there  is  another  "certain  man" 
in  the  room,  and  narrow  the  words  down  to  his 
own  individual  case. 

A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN. 

Oh,  "certain  man"  here  tonight,  you  who  have 
been  wandering  away  from  God,  how  easy  it  is 
to  go  down.  The  road  to  destruction  and  eternal 
sorrow  of  hell  is  just  one  long,  swift  toboggan 
slide.  There  is  nothing  to  boast  about  in  being 
a  sinner  or  a  backslider.  Anybody  could  go  down, 

323 


THIS  IS  THAT 

any  coward  could  become  a  sinner,  but  it  takes  the 
real  courage  and  grace  of  God,  and  every  spark 
of  manhood  and  womanhood  there  is  in  you  to 
go  up  the  steep  incline  to  heaven.  A  dead  fish 
can  float  down  the  stream,  but  it  takes  a  live  one 
to  swim  up  against  the  current.  Any  poor,  spiritu- 
ally dead  soul  can  float  down  to  destruction;  it 
does  not  require  any  swimming  or  resistance. 
Nothing  but  the  divine  life  and  power  of  the  Lord, 
however,  can  take  him  up  again. 

Went  down!  Oh,  the  depths  of  the  precipices 
and  pits  of  sin  that  are  conveyed  by  that  one  word 
d-o-w-n. 

FROM  JERUSALEM  TO  JERICHO.  Vr 

Let  Jerusalem,  on  the  chart,  stand  for  all  that 
is  holy  and  pure  and  Christ-like,  for  all  that  is 
embodied  in  the  New  Jerusalem  that  is  soon  com- 
ing down  from  God  out  of  Heaven,  and  Jericho 
for  all  that  is  sinful  and  profane  and  ungodly. 

How  you,  dear  certain  man,  ever  came  to  pass 
out  through  the  gate  of  Jerusalem  and  start  on 
your  long  downward  journey,  I  do  not  know. 
Perhaps  it  was  lack  of  prayer — it  may  have  been 
a  failure  to  read  God's  Word  (you  can  not  dwell 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  without  prayer  and 
the  Word  any  more  than  you  could  live  without 
breathing.  When  you  pray  you  are  talking  to 
God — when  you  read  the  Word  He  is  talking  to 
you) — it  may  have  been  that  you  allowed  the 
cares  of  this  life  to  press  heavily  upon  you. 

With  me  it  was  the  taking  away  of  the  dear  one 
who  had  led  me  to  Jesus,  and  upon  whose 
strength  I  had  ever  leaned  instead  of  allowing  the 
Lord  to  teach  me  to  grow  in  Him  and  be  able  to 
stand  the  storms.  When  my  earthly  support  was 
suddenly  transplanted  to  Heaven's  garden,  I  was 
left  like  an  ivy,  stripped  from  the  oak  to  which  if 
had  clung.  Oh,  what  a  poor  little,  fallen,  tumbled 
heap  I  was!  But  now,  bless  His  dear  name,  I 

324 


HAVE  YOU  TAKEN  THIS  JOURNEY? 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

have  learned  to  cling  to  and  lean  upon  Jesus — a 
support  that  will  never  die  nor  leave  me  alone. 

Be  the  primary  cause  what  it  may,  the  fact  re- 
mains that  the  certain  man  went  down  from  Jeru- 
salem to  Jericho — 

AND  FELL 

Oh,  you  cannot  walk  one  single  step  without 
Jesus,  no  matter  hoAv  strong  you  are;  or  how  many 
years  you  have  been  a  Christian;  the  moment  you 
let  go  of  His  dear  hand,  that  moment  you  will 
cease  to  stand,  and  you  will  fall 

AMONG  THIEVES. 

It  is  not  long  after  the  backslider  has  begun  his 
downward  journey  that  he  discovers  that  he,  too, 
has  fallen  among  thieves. 

These  thieves  that  we  are  reading  about  did  two 
things  to  the  certain  man  before  they  left  him : 

I.  THEY  STRIPPED  HIM  OF  HIS  RAIMENT. 

II.  THEY  WOUNDED  HIM  AND  DEPARTED,  LEAVING 

HIM  HALF  DEAD. 

and  that  is  exactly  what  the  thieves  have  been 
doing  to  you. 

Did  you  ever  stop  to  realize  just  what  consti- 
tuted the  raiment  which  used  to  clothe  you  in 
Jerusalem  (the  city  of  salvation) — this  priceless 
raiment  and  attire  of  which  the  enemy  has 
stripped  you? 

Let  us  look  at  the  chart  and  see  what  sort  of 
raiment  the  holy  life  in  Jerusalem  stands  for, 
and  what  you  have  lost. 

Those  who  walk  and  live  in  the  presence  of  the 
pure  and  holy  Son  of  God  must  be  attired  in  the 
raiment  clean  and  Avhite — which  is  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  saints. 

Each  individual  that  goes  into  the  marriage  sup- 
per of  the  Lamb  must  have  on  the  wedding  robe 
Jesus  has  prepared — worldly  garments  and  the? 
cloak  of  self -righteousness  and  morality  AVI  11  not 
suffice  but  will  vanish  before  His  gaze. 

325 


THIS  IS  THAT 

J  stands  for  JESUS :     When  we  walk  with  Him  He 
clothes  us  with  Himself,  and  the  garments  of  His 
righteousness.     (Rev.  3:18) 

E  stands  for  ENJOYMENT:       His  presence  is  full- 
ness of  joy.  (ps.  16:11.)  He  has  poured   the  oil   of 
everlasting  joy  upon  the  heads  of  His  people,   (isa.  35:io.) 

R  stands  for  REST:     In  the  presence  of  Him  who 
said :     "Come  unto  Me  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
(Matt.  ii:28.)  "The    weary    find    rest    for    their    souls." 

(Jer.  6:16) 

U   stands  for  USEFULNESS  :  Those  who  walk  with 
the  Saviour,  who  said:     "Work  while  yet  'tis  day, 
for  the  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work,"  will  long 
to  be  soul-winners  and  wear  the  cloak  of  service. 

S  stands  for  SALVATION :     Ah,  dear  backslider,  do 
you  not  remember  how  you  used  to  go  forth,  glad  in 
the  beautiful  garments  of  salvation,  which  had  been  put 
upon  you  by  Him  who  was  "your  light  and  your  salva- 
tion"?      (Ps.  27:1.) 

A   stands  for  ADORATION :    Where  is  there  a  soul 
that  could  behold  his  glorious  Redeemer  without 
bowing  at  His  feet  in  adoration  and  praise?     Did  you 
not  feel  a  great  loss  when  the  thieves  stripped  from  you 
the  garments  of  adoration  and  worship? 

L  stands  for  LOVE :    When  we  dwell  with  the  GOD 
who  IS  LOVE  (i  John  4:8),  and  He  "hath  set  His 
love  upon  us"  (PS.  9i:i4),  we  will  imbibe  and  partake  of 
His   nature   until   the   first   fruit   of   the    Spirit,   LOVE 
(Gal.  5:22),  shall  spring  forth  from  our  lives. 

E  stands   for   ENRICHMENT:      No   mortal   tongue 
can  tell  the  great,  inexhaustible  store  of  riches  to 
be  found  in  the  Christ  who  became  poor  that  we  by  His 
poverty  might  be  made  rich. 

M  stands  for  MERCY:  The  child  of  God  who 
abides  beneath  the  blood  is  covered  with  the 
MERCY  (as  a  garment)  that  is  "great  above  the  heav- 
ens" (PS.  108:4),  and  TRUTH  (the  girdle  which  fastens 
the  garment  about  him)  of  PS.  85:io,  these  meeting  to- 
gether to  form  His  raiment. 

326 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

What  a  dreadful  loss  it  was  when  the  thieves 
stripped  YOU  of  YOUR  raiment.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  go  without  the  secure  walls  of  the  city 
of  His  love  and  to  begin  your  downward  journey 
toward  Jericho  without  losing  those  beautiful 
garments.  It  was  indeed  a  sad  day  when  you 
were  stripped  of  your  robes  of  Christlikeness. 
Gone  was  your  Jesus;  gone  your  Enjoyment, 
your  Rest.  Taken  away  was  your  Usefulness, 
your  robes  of  Salvation,  your  Adoration,  Love, 
Enrichment,  and  Mercy. 

The  first  stroke  of  the  enemy  which  left  you 
denuded  of  such  garments  was  bad  enough,  but, 
Oh,  the  second  thing  that  happened  to  the  "cer- 
tain man"  was  far,  far  more  sad,  if  that  were 
possible,  for — 

T-H-E-Y  W-O-U-N-D-E-D  H-I-M,  and  departed, 
leaving  him  half  dead. 

What  wounds  the  devil  and  his  imps  (the 
thieves  who  rob  you  of  salvation,  rest  and  happi- 
ness in  this  world  and  the  world  to  come)  can 
inflict  upon  the  backslider  and  the  sinner!  When 
the  garments  which  Jesus  purchased  for  Him  by 
his  blood  are  taken  away  there  is  nothing  left  to 
protect  the  sinner  from  the  blows  rained  upon  him 
by  the  enemy. 

The  backslider,  wandering  far  from  God,  who 
has  been  thus  stripped  and  wounded,  is  in  a  criti- 
cal condition  indeed.  The  wicked  old  thieves  nod 
and  wink  to  one  another  as  they  pick  up  their 
booty  and  DEPART,  LEAVING  HIM  HALF  DEAD. 

The  mile-posts  by  the  way  now  point  toward 
JERICHO,  and  each  mile-post  the  certain  man 
reaches  on  his  downward  way  means  just  another 
wound  to  burn  and  sear  its  way  into  his  very 
soul. 

Let  us  look  again  at  the  chart  and  see  what 
these  mile-posts  that  lead  to  Jericho  stand  for — 
First : 

327 


THIS  IS  THAT 

J  stands  for  JOLLIFICATION.  "Not  a  serious 
wound,"  you  say,  ''just  a  little  amusement,  no  serious 
harm  in  that,  a  little  gossip,  an  idle  jest,  the  theatre, 
novel  or  a  game  of  pool."  "Young  folks  must  have  en- 
tertainment," says  the  enemy.  Who  hearkens  will  find 
that  jollification  has  left  a  wound  and  hastened  him  to 
the  second  mile-post — 

E  which  stands  for  EVIL.  I  have  seen  the  serious 
wound  reflected  in  the  sinner's  eyes,  in  the  lines  of 
his  face,  and  have  heard  the  words  of  profanity  rise  from 
his  heart — but  O,  the  eyes  of  God  look  right  down  into 
the  depths  of  that  soul,  and  from  Him  there  is  nothing 
hid. 

R  stands  for  RESTLESSNESS.  Instead  of  rest 
which  was  once  his,  when  he  loved  the  quiet  hours 
of  prayer  "alone  with  God,"  there  is  now  a  driving,  irri- 
tating restlessness  that  goads  him  day  and  night.  Any- 
thing to  get  away  from  his  own  thoughts  is  a  welcome 
diversion. 

I  stands  for  INDIFFERENCE.     The  heart  that  once 
responded  to  His  every  leading  and  sprang  to  obey 
His  call,  is  now  indifferent  to  His  voice. 

C  stands    for    CALLOUSNESS.      The    indifferent 
heart  soon  becomes  calloused  and  hard.     Once  so 
tender  that  he  melted  in  contrition  before  the  Lord,  he 
now  listens  to  the  tender  story  of  the  Crucifixion,  the 
warning  thunder  of  coming  wrath  unmoved. 

H  stands  for  HATRED.  When  the  devil  has  gotten 
his  victim  into  the  place  where  he  hates  the  Spirit, 
who  endeavors  to  rouse  him  into  sense  of  his  peril,  hates 
good  and  loves  evil  (Mic.  3:2),  he  rubs  his  evil  hands  and 
a  smile  of  demonic  joy  twists  his  countenance  as  the 
poor,  duped  soul  draws  near  the  city  of  eternal  Woe. 

O  stands  for  OBSTINACY.    When  one  receives  this 
wound  he  obstinately  refuses  to  be  warned  of  his 
danger  or  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.     He  walks  out 
of  the  meeting,  goes  home  and  to  bed,  hard,  unyielding, 
obstinate. 


328 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

AVhat  a  deceitful  old  traitor  the  devil  is!  He 
smiles  and  tricks  and  fools  the  soul  along  while  it 
has  life  and  strength  and  means,  but  Avhen  it  is 
down  and  out,  helpless,  dying  and  alone,  the  devil 
does  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  pretend  that  he 
is  his  friend. 

Half  dead — thank  God  he  is  not  altogether  dead, 
for  whilst  there  is  life  there  is  hope!  Helpless, 
unable  to  drag  himself  one  painful  step  toward 
the  city  of  salvation,  the  sin-sick  soul  is  left  lying 
in  the  road.  "The  whole  head  is  sick  and  the 
whole  heart  faint;  from  the  sole  of  the  foot  even 
unto  the  head  there  is  no  soundness  in  it,  but 
wounds  and  bruises  and  putrifying  sores;  they 
have  not  been  closed,  neither  bound  up,  neither 
mollified  with  ointment."  Isa.  1:5,  6. 

What  a  picture,  not  only  of  the  individual,  but  of 
the  whole  human  race,  that  wandered  from  God.— 

"THERE  CAME  DOWN  A  CERTAIN  PRIEST  THAT  WAY." 

Surely  this  priest,  who  typifies  the  L-A-W,  will 

be  able  to  lift,  heal  and  restore  the  sin-sick  soul. 

But  no,  there  is  nothing  to  hope  for  from  him,  for, 

"HE  PASSED  BY  ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE." 

And  Paul  explains  to  us  that  "The  law  made 
nothing  perfect."  Heb.  7 :19.  Moreover  the  law 
entered  that  offenses  might  abound. 

"And  likewise  a  Levite,  ivhcn  he  was  at  the 
place,  came  and  looked  on  him."  Surely  one 
would  be  justified  in  expecting  help  from  the  Le- 
vite who  is  filled  with  his  good  works  and  self- 
righteousness,  but  no,  the  Word  tells  us  that  all 
our  righteousness  is  but  "filthy  rags"  (Isa.  64:6), 
and  that  "a  man  is  not  justified  by  the  works  of 
the  laic"  (Gal.  2:16).  Turning  over  a  new  leaf 
or  signing  your  name  to  a  pledge  can  never  lift 
you  nor  heal  the  wounds  of  your  sinful  soul,  and 
thus  we  read  of  the  Levite :  "And  he  passed  by  on 
the  other  side." 

329 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Eii  what  a  deplorable,  perilous  condition  human- 
ity found  itself.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  help- 
less soul  should  cry  aloud: 

"Oh,  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver 
me  from  the  body  of  this  death?"  Bom.  7:24.  Is 
there  no  arm  to  save?  Is  there  no  eye  to  pity? 
Ah,  yes?,  glory  to  Jesus,  there  is  one  who  sees  and 
approaches  from  the  distance. 


Who  could  it  be  but  Jesus — this  good  Samari- 
tan— filled  with  compassion  and  tender  love  for 
lost,  wretched  humanity,  groveling  in  the  dust 
of  humiliation  and  despair? 


Oh,  what  a  journey  Jesus  took  in  order  to  reach 
poor,  fallen  souls  who  lie  bruised  and  bleeding 
on  the  road  to  destruction.  What  a  journey !  All 
the  way  from  heaven  to  earth  He  came;  all  the 
way  from  the  manger  to  the  cross  He  went,  and 
from  the  tomb  to  His  Father's  throne. 

"As  He  journeyed" — no  distance  was  too  great 
to  go,  no  soul  too  far  out  of  the  way  for  Jesus 
to  reach  him  with  His  love  and  proffered  help — 

"CAME  WHERE  HE  WAS"- 

Yes,  this  good  Samaritan  who  was  none  other 
than  the  King  of  Glory,  never  rested,  once  He  had 
seen  the  fallen  condition  of  the  world,  until  He 
had  laid  aside  His  crown,  divested  Himself  of  His 
kingly  raiment,  taken  upon  Him  the  form  of  man 
— was  not  contented  even  with  standing  by  the 
sinner's  side,  but  must  come  where  he  was,  taking 
his  place,  and  hanging  upon  his  cross,  paying  his 
penalty,  and  dying  his  death. 

"For  what  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was 
weak  through  the  flesh,  God,  sending  His  own 
Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  flesh : 

330 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

That  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  ful- 
filled in  us,  who  walk  not  after  the  flesh  but 
after  the  Spirit."  Rom.  8 :3,  4. 

Was  ever  such  love,  such  mercy  as  this  known 
in  this  universe  of  ours?  "Came  where  he  was." 
Why,  dear  sinner,  dear  backslider,  there  is  not 
one  of  you  who  has  wandered  so  far  away  whose 
wounds  are  so  obnoxious  and  horrible  but  Jesus 
has  come  where  you  are. 

Was  humanity  poor?  Jesus  became  poorer  than 
they  all. 

Were  any  despised?  He  Avas  more  despised 
than  they. 

Was  there  any  friendless  and  alone?  He 
prayed  on  the  mountain-side,  sweat  great  drops 
of  blood  in  the  garden  alone,  and  groaned  upon 
the  tree. 

Was  any  filled  with  sin  and  laden  with  iniquity? 
He  bore  their  sins  and  their  sickness  in  His  own 
body  on  the  tree. 

Oh,  how  I  love  those  words,  love  to  repeat  them 
over  and  over: 

"As  He  journeyed.  He  came  where  he  was." 
Why,  sinner,  look!  Can  you  not  see  Him  just 
now?  He  is  standing  right  beside  you.  If  you 
put  out  your  hand  you  can  touch  Him  and  feel 
His  nearness.  "They  should  seek  the  Lord,  if 
haply  they  might  feel  after  Him,  and  find  Him, 
though  He  be  not  far  from  every  one  of  us."  Acts- 
17 :27. 

Just  the  faintest  little  cry  for  help,  uttered  or 
unexpressed,  and  He  will  reach  down  His  great 
arms  and  place  them  about  you.  Praise  His 
name ! 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whosoever  shall 
call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  delivered: 
for  in  Mount  Zion  and  in  Jerusalem  shall  be  deliv- 
erance, as  the  Lord  hath  said,  and  in  the  remnant 
u-hom  the  Lord  shall  call."  Joel  2 :32. 

331 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Call  unto  me,  and  I  will  answer  thee,  and  show 
thee  great  and  mighty  things  which  thou  knowcst 
not."  Jer.  33:3. 

"AND  WHEN  HE  SAW  HIM"— 

What  an  awful  and  yet  what  a  wonderful  thing 
it  is  to  know  that  Jesus  sees  right  down  into  the 
depths  of  the  heart,  and  the  intents  of  the  human 
mind — that  nothing  is  concealed  from  Him — that 
everything  is  laid  bare  and  open  in  His  sight. 

Oh,  what  will  this  good  Samaritan  do  when  He 
looks  down  into  your  heart?  Will  He  shake  His 
head  and  walk  away  when  you  confess  your  awful 
sins?  Why,  no,  the  Word  tells  us  that  when  He 
saw  him 

"HE  HAD  COMPASSION  ON  HIM."— 

No  matter  what  your  mistakes,  your  failures; 
no  matter  how  vile  your  sins  have  been;  if  you 
will  but  truly  repent  and  obey  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  He  will  have  compassion  upon  you.  If  man 
were  your  judge  there  would  be  very  little  to  hope 
for  or  to  expect  but  punishment,  but  His  heart  is 
filled  with  compassion.  He  knows  the  many  times 
that  you  have  wept  upon  your  pillow;  He  knows 
the  heartaches  and  the  longing;  He  remembers  the 
weakness  of  your  frame,  and  pities  you  as  a  Father 
pitieth  His  children.  It  was  that  great  heart  full 
of  compassion  that  caused  Him  to  weep  over  Jeru- 
salem and  cry  upon  the  cross: 

"Father,  forgive  them;  they  know  not  what  they 
do." 

"AND  WENT  TO  HIM"— 

elesus  has  come  to  meet  you,  not  half  way,  not 
three-quarters  of  the  way,  but  all  the  way.  He  has 
come  to  you  just  now  with  pleadings  and  tender 
mercy.  Just  one  word  and  He  is  right  at  your 
side  with  hope  and  succor. 

"AND  BOUND  UP  HIS  WOUNDS." 
Yes,   those  painful,   cankerous   wounds   are  the 

332 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

first  thing  that  demand  His  attention.  All  infec- 
tion must  be  cut  away  and  sin  destroyed.  He  can 
bind  every  heart-bruise  so  gently,  pouring  in  oil 
and  wine. 

"But,  oh!"  you  say,  "I  don't  seem  to  have  the 
feeling  and  the  tender  desire  for  the  Saviour 
which  I  should  have.  My  heart  seems  hard,  and 
my  conscience  dulled."  Yes,  I  know;  that  is  be(- 
cause  of  those  dreadful  wounds — indifference,  cal- 
lousness, and  obstinacy,  but  do  not  let  this  dis- 
courage you  from  calling  upon  the  Lord,  for  when 
He  comes  He  will  bring  with  Him  his  cruse  of  oil 
and  will  soften  every  hardened  wound,  making 
your  heart  tender,  and  flooding  your  soul  with  the 
old-time  love. 

"Oh,  but  I  do  not  seem  to  have  any  strength. 
My  spiritual  energy  seems  to  be  so  faint  and  at 
such  a  low  ebb."  Well,  praise  the  Lord!  He 
brings  His  wine  with  Him  also.  He  will  revive 
and  bring  back  life  and  strength  by  the  quickening 
of  His  Spirit. 

"AND  SET  HIM  ON  HIS  OWN  BEAST. " 
How  many  poor,   timid  souls,  halting  between 
two  opinions,  trembling  at  the  sight  of  the  yawn- 
ing pit  before  them,  and  yet  fearful  to  trust  them- 
selves to  the  Lord's  tender  hands,  say: 

"Oh,  I  do  so  long  to  be  a  Christian,  but  I  am 
afraid  I  could  not  hold  out.  I  am  afraid  I  could 
not  hang  on  to  my  profession."  Why,  Hallelujah ! 
I  have  such  good  news  to  tell  you.  This  is  a  sal- 
vation you  do  not  need  to  hang  on  to — it  will  hang 
on  to  you.  This  is  a  Saviour  that  you  do  not  have 
to  uphold  and  keep  from  falling;  He  will  uphold 
and  keep  you  if  you  will  but  put  your  trust  in 
Him. 

"They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  Mount 
Zion,  which  cannot  ~be  removed,  but  abideth  for- 
ever." Ps.  125:1. 

333 


THIS  IS  THAT 

What  would  you  have  thought  of  this  good 
Samaritan  had  He  turned  to  the  wounded  man  and 
said: 

"Now  come,  my  man;  I  have  bound  up  your 
wounds.  I  have  poured  in  oil  and  \vine.  Here 
beside  you  stands  the  little  beast  (salvation),  the 
sure-footed  little  animal  that  can  climb  the  most 
rugged  mountain  without  slipping  or  making  a 
misstep.  I  want  you  to  pick  up  this  beast,  put  it 
on  your  poor,  bruised  back,  walk  back  all  the 
many  weary  miles  to  Jerusalem  with  this  burden 
upon  your  shoulder,  and  mind  you  do  not  let  it 
fall." 

Was  this  what  he  said?  NO,  Never!  He  did 
not  ask  the  man  to  carry  the  beast,  but  He  brought 
the  beast  to  carry  the  man.  Therefore  He  set  him 
on  His  own  beast — 

"AND  BROUGHT  HIM  TO  AN  INN" — 

The  inn  is  the  place  of  shelter  and  security 
where  his  wounds  shall  be  ministered  unto — in 
other  words,  the  church  of  God.  It  was  the  good 
Samaritan  Himself  who  brought  him  to  the  inn; 
not  by  his  own  struggles  and  weak  efforts,  was 
he  carried  thither.  Put  your  case  in  the  hands  of 
Jesus  and  He  will  bring  you  forth  by  His  own 
hand  and  lead  you  in  a  way  you  know  not  of. 
Mountains  that  seemed  impassable  in  your  own 
strength  will  be  surmounted,  and  you  will  be 
borne  up  upon  wings  as  of  an  eagle  over  every 
difficulty. 

"AND  TOOK  CARE  OF  HIM." 

Have  you  ever  sang  that  chorus : 
"God  will  take  care  of  you, 
Through  all  the  day,  o'er  all  the  way, 
He  will  take  care  of  you. 

Be  not  dismayed,  whatever  betide ; 
God  will  take  care  of  you; 
Within  His  arms  of  love  abide; 
God  will  take  care  of  you"? 

334 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

The  tender,  loving  solicitude  and  care  of  the 
good  Shepherd  over  His  little  lambs — of  the  good 
Samaritan  over  the  wounded  soul,  can  never  be 
described.  His  patience  and  His  love  are  bound- 
less. He  will  supply  every  need  of  body,  soul  and 
Spirit. 

"ON  THE  MORROW  WHEN  HE  DEPARTED" — 

Yes,  there  came  the  day  when,  after  Jesus  had 
journeyed  all  the  way  from  heaven  to  earth,  and 
from  the  manger  to  the  cross;  after  He  had  fed 
the  multitudes  and  healed  the  sick,  and  comforted 
the  broken-hearted,  and  taken  the  sinner's  place, 
and  shed  every  drop  of  His  blood  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  a  lost  world,  conquered  death  and  the 
grave,  He  fulfilled  the  word  which  He  had  spoken 
to  His  disciples,  saying: 

"Ye  have  heard  how  I  said  unto  you,  I  go  away 
and  come  again  unto  you.  If  ye  loved  me  ye 
would  rejoice  because  I  said,  I  go  unto  the  Father, 
for  my  Father  is  greater  than  I."  John  14 :28. 

"It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if 
I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto 
you;  but  if  I  'DEPART  I  will  send  Him  unto 
you."  John  16 :7.  And  thus  it  was  that  on  the 
morrow,  "while  they  beheld,  He  was  taken  up  and 
a  oloud  received  Him  out  of  their  sight/'  But  be- 
fore He  departed  the  thoughtful  Saviour,  who  was 
ever  providing  for  our  good, 

"TOOK  OUT  TWO  PENCE" — 

(Salvation  and  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost). 
Two  pence  was  a  day's  wages  at  that  time;  so  He 
has  left  enough  to  supply  the  need  for  this  entire 
day.  Praise  His  name. 

"AND  GAVE  THEM  TO  THE  HOST  :" 

Has  the  host  of  your  inn,  the  preacher  of  your 

church,   been    faithfully   spending   and   preaching 

these  two  pence,  dispensing  all  that  they  provide 

for   your   comfort?      Many   hosts   hold   back    one 

335 


THIS  IS  THAT 

penny  and  feel  that  when  they  have  preached  sal- 
vation and  repentance  they  have  given  the  man  all 
that  he  has  need  of,  and  is  for  his  good.  If  this 
is  what  your  preacher  has  been  doing  you  should 
go  up  to  him  and  ask  him  what  he  has  done  with 
that  other  penny,  why  he  is  not  preaching  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost  according  to  Acts  2 :4. 

Peter,  who  acted  as  host  to  the  three  thousand 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  dispensed  the  two  pen- 
nies freely  as  he  said: 

"Kepent,  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of 
sins" — penny  number  one; 

"And  you  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost" — penny  number  two.  Acts  2 :38. 

"AND  SAID,  TAKE  CARE  OF  HIM." 
Stewards,  hosts,  and  pastors,  you  are  respon- 
sible to  God  for  the  way  you  preach  the  Word. 
There  is  power  enough,  encouragement  and  grace 
enough  in  the  Word  of  God  to  take  care  of  and 
support  all  them  who  come  beneath  your  teach- 
ing, if  you  preach  the  Word  in  its  entirety,  and 
they  will  but  obey. 

"WHATSOEVER  THOU  SPENDEST  MORE:" 
These  words  open  to  us  such  a  vista  of  glories, 
such  unlimited  acres  of  promised  land,  with  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  the  luscious  grapes,  and  the 
land  that  flows  with  milk  and  honey,  such  a 
boundless  and  fathomless  ocean  of  blessing,  such 
heights  and  depths,  such  lengths  and  breadths  in 
the  great  unsearchable  love  of  God,  that  we  cry 
out — 

"The  half  has  never  yet  been  told." 
"Whatsoever  thou  spendest  more";  why,  dear 
heart,  salvation  and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  just  the  beginning — just  the  first  few 
toddling  steps  of  the  new-born  child  into  the  realm 
of  the  Spirit — just  the  a,  b,  c's  of  the  gospel.  To 

336 


A  CERTAIN  MAN  WENT  DOWN 

live  without  salvation  through  the  blood  of  Jesus 
and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  according  to 
Acts  2:4,  is  to  live  in  an  abnormal  condition  no- 
where recorded  in  the  Word  of  God.  Ahead  of 
you  are  the  gifts  and  the  fruits  and  the  graces  of 
the  Spirit,  and  a  life  that  He  longs  to  change  from 
glory  into  glory  until  He  has  brought  us  unto  per- 
fection and  can  present  us  to  the  Father  faultless, 
without  spot  or  wrinkle. 

"WHEN  i  COME  AGAIN"- 

Why,  beloved!  He  is  coming  again!!  Did  not 
He  whose  promises  are  known  never  to  fail  say : 

"If  I  go,  I  will  come  again,  and  receive  you  un- 
to Myself"?  John  14  :3.  And  when  the  disciples 
had  watched  Him  until  the  clouds  had  received 
Him  out  of  their  sight,  did  not  the  two  men  who 
stood  beside  him,  clothed  in  white  apparel,  say: 

"Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into 
heaven?  This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from 
you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as 
ye  have  seen  Him  go  into  heaven."  Acts  1 :11. 

Did  not  the  apostle  Paul  declare  that 

"The  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from  heaven 
with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and 
with  the  trump  of  God:  and  the  dead  in  Christ 
shall  rise  first: 

Then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  shall  be 
caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to 
meet  the  Lord  in  the  air:  and  so  shall  we  ever  be 
with  the  Lord."  I  Thess.  4:16,  17.  Did  He  not 
tell  us  to  comfort  one  another  with  these  words? 
Did  not  the  Lord,  speaking  through  John  on  the 
Isle  of  Patmos,  say: 

"Surely,  I  come  quickly."  And  is  not  the  Spirit 
speaking  today  throughout  the  whole  world, 
through  yielded  vessels: 

"Behold,  Jesus  is  coming  soon;  get  ready  to 
meet  Him"? 

337 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"When  I  come  again" — Oh,  what  a  glorious 
day  that  will  be  when  we  shall  gaze  with  open 
face  upon  the  beauty  of  the  good  Samaritan,  our 
Redeemer  and  Saviour  divine.  "And  when  I 
come  again — 

I  WILL  REPAY  THEE. " 

Why !  Just  one  glimpse  of  His  beautiful  face — 
fairer  than  the  lilies,  brighter  than  the  sun — 
just  one  smile  from  His  tender  eyes — just  one 
"well  done,"  and  we  would  be  a  million  times 
repaid  for  any  little  labor  of  love  that  is  naught 
but  our  reasonable  service  when  all  is  said  and 
done. 

Oh,  dear  backslider,  and  Oh,  dear  sinner,  will 
you  not  speak  the  word  just  now: 

"Lord,  save  me."  He  is  standing  right  beside 
you.  He  will  hear  the  faintest  cry;  His  glorious 
salvation  is  ready  to  carry  you  to  the  safe  refuge 
of  the  inn.  He  is  waiting  to  care  for  and  watch 
over  you,  and  at  last,  when  He  comes  again,  to 
take  you  to  dwell  with  Him  forever. 

"Come,  weary  soul,  by  sin  oppressed, 
There's  mercy  with  the  Lord; 

And  He  will  surely  give  you  rest, 
By  trusting  in  His  Word. 

"Only  trust  Him;  only  trust  Him; 

Only  trust  Him  now. 
He  will  save  you;  He  will  save  you; 

He  will  save  vou  now." 


338 


HAST  THOU  NOT  KNOWN  ME  ? 

IT  WAS  just  after  I  had  finished  preaching  the 
other  night,  that  during  the  altar  service,  while 
an  invitation  song  was  being  sung,  I  went  down 
through    the    audience    inviting    sinners    to    the 
altar.     Amongst  others  with  whom  I  was  dealing 
I  came  to  a  young  man  who  answered  my  invita- 
tion to  give  his  heart  to  Jesus  by  saying: 

"O,  Sister,  if  I  could — if  only  I  could  believe! 
But  I  have  never  seen  or  felt  the  presence  of  the 
Lord  in  my  life;  I  have  never  heard  His  voice  or 
been  conscious  of  His  dealings  with  me." 

Soon  after  that  the  Lord  gave  a  message  in 
tongues  and  its  interpretation  that  set  me  to 
thinking  a  great  deal.  How  slow  of  heart  and 
how  slothful  of  understanding  the  whole  world 
has  been,  when  it  came  to  recognizing  the  pres- 
ence, leadings  and  dealings  of  the  Lord! 

"The  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his 
master's  crib:  but  Israel  does  not  know,  my  people 
doth  not  consider."  For  thousands  of  years  God 
has  walked  with  His  people,  but  they  have  not 
understood  or  recognized  His  presence.  The 
world  today,  and  even  many  of  the  Lord's  chil- 
dren, fail  to  recognize  the  stately  steppings  of 
the  King. 

Away  back  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  God  walked 
with  Adam.  He  longed  to  walk  with  him  and 
commune  with  him  in  unbroken  communion;  but 
both  Adam  and  Eve  failed  to  comprehend  the 
great  plan  and  purpose  of  God,  and  miserably  dis- 
obeying Him,  lost  the  garden  of  Eden. 

God  walked  with  the  children  of  Israel  as  Moses 
led  them  through  the  Red  Sea.  He  walked  with 
them  through  the  wilderness;  revealing  Himself 
by  the  pillar  of  fire  and  the  cloud.  He  came  unto 
them  as  manna  from  heaven;  He  was  made  mani- 
fest to  them  as  a  Rock  which  followed  them,  and 
from  which  gushed  forth  th^e  clear,  living  water  of 

339 


THIS  IS  THAT 

life.  He  thundered  forth  His  voice  from  Mount 
Sinai,  but  His  people  failed  to  really  understand 
and  to  recognize  the  leadings  and  manifestations 
of  the  great,  omnipresent  God.  They  murmured 
and  rebelled,  and  lagged  behind  until  they  fell 
short  of  the  Promised  Land. 

God  visited  Pharoah,  and  walked  in  his  land. 
He  walked  through  his  palace,  and  visited  the 
humblest  home.  When  Pharoah  would  not  listen 
to  His  voice,  God  spoke  through  plagues  and  pesti- 
lences. God  walked  through  his  land  with  no 
uncertain  step,  leaving  the  imprints  of  His  feet 
in  every  home;  but  all  failed  to  understand,  or 
recognize  the  dealings  and  presence  of  Jehovah. 

Some  one  says,  "O !  but  if  I  could  only  see  Him, 
or  some  plain,  unmistakable  manifestation  would 
be  wrought  in  my  sight,  I  could  believe."  But, 
dear  one,  if  you  cannot  recognize  Him  through 
His  Word,  and  present'  day  manifestations,  you 
would  not  believe  even  though  one  should  rise 
from  the  dead. 

Jesus  came  and  walked  with  His  people,  came 
away  from  His  Father's  throne;  all  the  Avay  from 
heaven  to  earth.  He  walked  in  a  fleshly,  visible 
reality  among  the  people  of  this  earth,  but  the 
world  would  not  recognize  or  believe  in  Him. 

He  was  born  in  a  manger.  He  lived  in  His 
Father's  home  for  thirty  years,  but  the  world  round 
about  were  not  stirred  into  belief — they  did  not 
understand.  He  walked  into  the  midst  of  the 
teachers  in  the  temple  at  the  age  of  twelve.  They 
marvelled  at  His  words,  but  with  all  their  wisdom 
and  learning,  even  they  did  not  recognize  their 
Lord.  He  walked  through  the  throng,  and  into 
the  river  of  Jordan  to  be  baptized  of  John,  but 
even  though  the  Spirit  descended  upon  Him  in 
bodily  form  as  of  a  dove,  and  even  though  the 
Father's  voice  spoke  aloud  from  the  heavens,  "This 
is  My  beloved  Son"  still  they  did  not  understand, 

340 


HAST  THOU  NOT  KNOWN  ME? 

but  slow  of  heart  and  slothful  of  understanding, 
they  said,  "An  angel  spake/'  or  "it  thundered." 

For  the  three  following  years  Jesus  walked  in 
the  midst  of  His  people.  He  wrought  signs  and 
Avoriders;  He  healed  the  sick,  cleansed  the  lepers, 
raised  the  dead,  yet,  through  it  all  the  unbelieving 
world  failed  to  understand,  or  believe,  or  recog- 
nize the  pure,  spotless  Lamb  of  God,  moving  in 
their  midst.  He  passed  through  the  city's  throng; 
He  entered  the  lonely  home;  He  preached  on  land 
and  sea  to  the  multitude,  and  to  the  lone  woman 
at  the  well;  but  few,  O  so  few,  recognized  Him 
and  believed  it  was  the  Lord. 

He  stood  in  plain  sight  in  the  midst  of  the 
rabble  throng,  as  a  Lily  among  thorns,  a  Lamb 
among  wolves,  but  they  did  not  understand.  Pon- 
tius Pilate  was  near  the  truth  when  he  asked  the 
question :  "Art  thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?"  The 
high  priest  was  near  the  light  when  he  asked: 
"Art  thou  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Blessed?"  but 
neither  of  them  really  recognized  or  understood 
the  import  of  Jesus'  reply,  or  knew  He  was  the 
Son  of  God. 

He  walked  up  Calvary's  hill,  bearing  His  cross. 
He  was  lifted  high  between  heaven  and  earth  as 
He  prayed :  "Father,,  forgive  them,  they  know  not 
what  they  do."  But  though  the  rocks  rent,  and 
the  earth  did  quake;  though  the  veil  of  the  temple 
was  rent  in  twain  from  the  top  to  the  bottom; 
though  many  graves  were  opened,  and  the  bodies 
of  the  saints  which  slept  arose;  though  the  sun  hid 
its  face  and  the  heavens  were  filled  with  blackness, 
still,  unbelievable  as  it  may  seem,  the  spectators 
in  Jerusalem  at  large  did  not  understand  or 
believe  this  Jesus  to  be  the  Son  of  God. 

With  what  piteous  ignorance  and  utter  incom- 
prehension they  sealed  His  tomb,  and  stationed 
the  Koman  soldiers  to  guard  the  door  of  the  grave 
of  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  Then,  though 

341 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  stone  was  rolled  away,  and  the  very  earth  gave 
up  its  dead,  and  the  soldiers  themselves  were 
slain  by  the  power  of  God,  the  people  round  about 
refused  to  recognize  the  Lord. 

Even  Mary,  when  first  meeting  Him  in  the 
garden  after  His  resurrection,  failed  to  recognize 
her  Lord,  and  mistook  Him  for  the  gardener.  How 
many  times  today,  even  those  to  whom  He  is 
dearer  than  all  else,  fail  to  recognize  His  form 
and  step,  as  He  conies  walking  through  the  garden 
of  their  lives. 

He  walked  with  His  disciples  by  the  way,  but 
their  eyes  were  hold  en,  and  they  did  not  know 
Him ;  even  though  their  hearts  did  burn  within 
them  as  He  talked  to  them  by  the  way,  they  failed 
to  recognize  Him.  Thomas  refused  to  believe  the 
evidence  of  his  own  eyes  and  Jesus  had  to  bid 
him  thrust  in  his  hand,  to  handle  Him  and  see 
that  it  was  really  He  Himself,  before  he  would 
believe. 

He  was  seen  of  above  five  hundred  brethren  at 
once,  after  His  resurrection ;  He  was  caught  up 
and  a  cloud  received  Him  out  of  the  sight  of  those 
watching  below,  and  yet  after  all  there  were  only 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  who  really  followed 
to  the  Upper  Room  to  tarry  for  the  Holy  Ghost. 

How  patient  He  has  been  with  our  stupidity, 
and  slow,  unbelieving  hearts!  How  His  heart 
must  ache  when  even  today  the  world  rushes 
blindly  on  to  destruction  over  His  crucified  body, 
and  refuses  to  understand.  Hear  Him  say : 

"0  Jerusalem!  Jerusalem!  How  oft  would  I 
have  gathered  thee  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  brood 
beneath  her  icing,  but  ye  would  not!" 

He  is  speaking  today  with  the  voice  of  ten  thou- 
sand thousand  cannon.  He  is  speaking  through 
plagues  and  pestilences,  through  blood,  fire,  and 
vapor  of  smoke.  His  footsteps  are  echoing  on  the 
hilltops  and  through  the  valleys  with  no  uncertain 

342 


HAST  THOU  NOT  KNOWN  ME? 

tread.  He  is  walking  through  the  city  streets.  In 
the  mansion  His  hand  is  again  taking  the  first- 
born— and  in  the  tenements,  mothers'  hearts  are 
bleeding  for  the  sons  slain  with  the  sword.  His 
footsteps  are  falling  with  heavy  tread  through  the 
battlefield,  among  those  tortured  with  shot  and 
shell;  His  feet  are  treading  softly  through  the 
long,  darkened  wards  of  blood  and  moans  and 
death.  He  is  leaping  upon  the  hills.  He  is  stand- 
ing behind  our  walls.  He  is  looking  in  at  the 
lattice.  He  is  standing  beside  you  just  now  as 
you  read  these  words.  He  is  speaking  to  your 
heart,  "Believe  in  Me  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 

HAVE  YOU  FAILED  TO  UNDERSTAND— 

failed  to  recognize  the  Son  of  God — failed  to 
recognize  His  dealings  in  your  life?  He  speaks 
sometimes  through  sickness,  sometimes  through 
the  taking  away  of  a  loved  one,  sometimes  through 
trial  and  sorrow.  Oh,  have  you  recognized  your 
Lord  so  lony  with  you  and  thou  hast  not  known? 

He  is  calling  you  just  now  to  repentance,  calling 
you  to  put  away  The  evil  of  your  doings,  to  be 
washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  He  is  calling 
you  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit  and  to  prepare  to 
meet  Him  in  the  air.  Once  your  eyes  have  been 
opened  you  will  see  Him  on  every  hand. 

If  the  world  cannot  see  Him  in  this  present 
crisis,  if  it  cannot  hear  His  voice  now  in  the  din 
of  battle,  it  will  never  understand  till  it  awakens 
to  stand  before  the  Judge  of  the  quick  and  the 
dead.  Then  men  will  call  for  the  rocks  and  the 
mountains  to  fall  on  them  and  hide  them  from  the 
face  of  Him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne. 

O  dear  heart,  tear  off  the  bandage  the  devil  has 
put  upon  your  eyes,  and  see  Jesus  NOW.  Open 
your  ears  and  hear  Him  calling  YOU,  that  you 
be  not  partaker  in  the  punishment  of  those  who 
having  ears  hear  not?  and  having  eyes  fail  to  see 
Jesus  their  Saviour,  the  Door  of  Escape. 

343 


THIS  IS  THAT 

LIBERTY   BONDS— "OVER   THERE." 

(Inspired  by  Our  Country's  Call  for  the  Third  Liberty  Loan, 
April,  1918.) 

The  Great  World-Wide  War— The  Need  of  Sacri- 
fice and  Funds — Patriotic  Talk  Will  Not  Suffice; 
Actual,  Literal  Giving  Necessary — The  First,  Sec-, 
ond  and  Third  Call  for  Liberty  Loans — Liberty 
Bonds,  or  Devil  Bondage — Liberty  Bonds  and  In-, 
terest  Bearing  Security — Tlie  Only  Way  to  Get 
"Over  There/' 

PRACTICALLY  everywhere  one  looks  today 
are  grim  reminders  of  the  world-wide  Avar,  its 
horrors,  and  the  need  for  sacrifice  and  loyalty 
at  this  trying  hour.  Service  flags  wave  to  us  from 
the  doors  of  homes  whence  loved  ones  have  taken 
their  departure  from  "over  there."  Posters  call  to 
us  from  the  windows  of  stores  and  offices.  The  call 
to  buy  Liberty  Bonds  speaks  aloud  to  us  from  the 
page-wide  adds  of  every  newspaper,  reminding  the 
citizens  of  our  fair  land  of  the  vital  necessity  of 
sacrifice  and  of  making  liberty  loans  to  the 
government. 

In  return  for  each  liberty  loan  a  liberty  bond 
is  given  to  the  subscriber.  This  liberty  bond  is  an 
interest-bearing  security,  with  the  United  States 
of  America  behind  it.  It  is  being  realized  more 
and  more  every  day  that  this  war  cannot  be 
conducted  without  sacrifice  and  money,  for  back 
of  the  great  armies  of  this  nation  now  going  to 
France,  standing  as  the  great  bulwark  upon  which 
the  tempest  of  this  war  must  spend  itself,  is  the 
financial  strength  of  the  IT.  S.  A.,  whose  true, 
active,  numerical  terms  are  Liberty  Bonds.  Actual 
giving  is  necessary;  even  the  most  patriotic  talk 
will  not  pay  the  debts  incurred  by  war.  Sacrifice 
and  giving  are  absolutely  essential. 

The  herculean  struggle — the  battle  to  the  death 
now  going  on  in  the  worldly  realm — is  analogous 

344 


LIBERTY  BONDS — "OVER  THERE" 

with  that  now  going  on  in  the  spiritual  realm. 
The  great,  age-old  Avar  between  righteousness  and 
unrighteousness  is  being  brought  to  a  final  climax 
in  these  last  days.  We  fight  against  a  mighty,  a 
wily  and  a  deceitful  foe — one  who  would  deceive 
the  very  elect,  if  that  were  possible. 

Ever  since  he  appeared  to  Eve  in  the  garden  of 
Eden,  disguised  as  a  serpent,  speaking  fair  words 
and  Aveaving  lies,  he  has  been  fighting,  lying  ane} 
deceiving  all  who  would  hearken  unto  his  words. 
Although  the  enemy  has  put  up  an  unceasing  fight 
from  the  beginning,  there  has  never  been  a  time 
when  his  demonic  troops  have  been  mobilized  and 
fighting  in  massed  formation  as  today.  The  old 
devil's  time  is  short,  his  days  of  rule  and  power 
are  numbered,  for  King  Jesus  will  soon  overthrow 
his  earthly  throne,  strip  him  of  his  power,  bind 
him  with  chains,  and  cast  him  into  the  bottomless 
pit.  In  the  meantime  the  battle  will  rage  with 
ever  increasing  fervor  and  intensity,  as  a  whirl- 
wind, gathering  momentum  as  it  sweeps  on  and 
through  the  stricken  world. 

We  are  in  this  war  as  soldiers  of  Jesus  and  as 
citizens  of  that  land  over  there.  This  war  will 
tax  each  overcomer  to  the  utmost.  We  can  only 
win  as  we  abide  in  Jesus  and  sacrifice  ourselves, 
our  all,  freely  to  His  service.  We  are  going  to 
win,  but  not  easily — not  without  paying  the  price, 
and  fighting  the  good  fight  of  faith.  We  who  have 
determined  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  to  overcome 
and  conquer  till  we  get  over  there,  must  win  by  a 
whole-hearted  sacrifice — by  making  great  "liberty 
loans"  unto  the  Lord  and  receiving  our  "liberty 
bonds"  as  eternal  security  of  the  promised  land 
"over  there." 

Our  King  Jesus  is  calling  for  LIBERTY 
LOANS  from  all  His  loyal  subjects  who  intend  to 
go  "over  there"  to  rule  and  reign,  crowned  as 
overcomers,  so  therefore: 

345 


THIS  IS  THAT 

BUY  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire, 

crown    of    righteousness,    which    the 
A  (-      Lord  shall  give  you  at  that  day. 

Stand  fast,  therefore  in  the 
LIBERTY     where  with  Christ  hath  made  you  free. 

And  above  all  things  put  on  charity, 

which  is  the 
BOND  of  perfectness. 

He  who  lendeth  to  the  Lord  is  Avise.  He  is 
calling  upon  His  people  to  subscribe  liberally  of 
their  time,  their  love,  their  means,  their  praise, 
their  loyalty  and  patriotism  to  His  kingdom,  their 
bodies,  souls  and  spirits.  Just  as  our  country  is 
sending  out  the  call  for  the  third  liberty  loan  to- 
day, so,  through  the  Holy  Spirit  the  third  call  for 
liberty  loans  and  the  buying  up  of  liberty  bonds  is 
going  forth  in  the  spiritual  realm. 

THE  FIRST  CALL  FOR  LIBERTY  LOANS 

went  forth  during  the  dispensation  of  the  Father. 
Many  subscribed  liberally  of  their  lives,  love  and 
sacrifice,  and  in  return  secured  eternal  liberty 
bonds  guaranteeing  infinite  thousand-fold  interest 
in  that  glory  land  "over  there."  In  response  to 
the  appeal  of  the  Father,  many  stepped  forth, 
counting  no  sacrifice,  no  loan  too  great. 

Abraham — when  called  upon  to  contribute  of 
his  unswerving  loAralty  and  obedience  to  the  call 
divine,  manifested  his  supreme  love  and  willing- 
ness to  sacrifice  by  laying  his  only  son,  Isaac,  upon 
the  altar. 

Daniel — entered  the  lions'  den. 

The  three  Hebrew  children — entered  the  fiery 
furnace. 

Joseph — endured  the  prison. 

Job — endured  suffering  and  bereavement.  And 
so  we  might  go  on  and  on  enumerating  those  who, 
during  the  dispensation  of  the  Father,  responded 
to  the  first  call  for  liberty  loans  and  received  in 

346 


LIBERTY  BONDS — "OVER  THERE77 

exchange  eternal  interest-bearing  Liberty  Bonds. 
We  are  reminded  also  of  the  enormous  interest 
that  was  paid  on  those  bonds  even  in  this  world. 

ABRAHAM  made  his  liberty  loan  and,  instead  of 
keeping  his  own  liberty  and  saying: 

"No,  Isaac  is  mine,  my  time  is  mine;  I  will  not 
give  this  liberty  of  mine  away,  but  will  keep  my 
son  and  my  life  and  my  time  to  myself/7  he  gave 
his  all  as  a  Liberty  Loan  unto  his  God,  and  re- 
ceived in  return  a  Liberty  Bond  which  began  to 
bear  immediate  interest,  for  the  angel  declared: 

"Because  thou  hast  done  this  thing  and  hast  not 
withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  in  blessing  I  will 
bless  thee,  and  in  multiplying  I  will  multiply  thee, 
thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  in  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed, 
because  thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice." 

DANIEL.  In  return  for  Daniel's  great  sacrificial 
Liberty  Loan,  wherein  he  loaned  his 
all,  body,  soul  and  spirit,  unto  his  God  and  entered 
the  lions7  den,  he  received  a  Liberty  Bond,  an 
interest-bearing  certificate.  This  interest  began 
at  once;  not  only  was  he  liberated,  but  was  given 
honor  and  "prospered  in  the  reign  of  Darius,  and 
in  the  reign  of  Cyrus." 

THE  THEEE     As  for  the  three  Hebrew  children, 
HEBREW       they,  too,  received  instant  interest 
CHILDREN,    on  their  liberty  loans.     They  ent- 
ered the  fiery  furnace  in  Nebuchad- 
nezzar^   bonds,    but    through    their   sacrifice    and 
obedience  their  bonds   fell  away,   and   they   were 
brought  out  of  the  furnace  with  none  other  bonds 
than  Liberty  Bonds  whose  interest  began  immedi- 
ately when  the  King  promoted  them  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Babylon. 

JOSEPH.     Joseph's    sacrifice    and    liberty    loan, 

whereby  he  lost  his  liberty  and  was 

cast  into  prison,  purchased  a  Liberty  Bond  which 

347 


THIS  IS  THAT 

also  paid  wondrous  interest.     Pharaoh  said  unto 
Joseph : 

"Thou  shalt  be  over  my  house,  and  according  to 
thy  word  shall  all  my  people  be  ruled/'  etc.,  and 
Pharaoh  took  off  the  ring  from  his  hand  and  put 
it  upon  Joseph's  hand. 

JOB  was  true  to  God?  and  made  his  great  Liberty 
Loan,  through  pain  and  sorrow,  through  be- 
reavement and  earthly  loss,  till  he,  too,  received 
his  Liberty  Bond  with  interest,  "for  the  Lord  gave 
Job  twice  as  much  as  he  had  before.  So  the  Lord 
blessed  the  latter  end  of  Job  more  than  his  be- 
ginning; for  he  had  fourteen  thousand  sheep,  and 
six  thousand  camels,  and  a  thousand  yoke  of 
oxen,  and  a  thousand  she  asses.  He  had  also  seven 
sons  and  three  daughters.  So  Job  died,  being  old 
and  full  of  days/'  and  went  "over  there"  to  reap 
his  reward  and  dwell  in  joy  forever. 

HANNAH.  The  great  Liberty  Loan  of  Hannah, 
when  she  lent  her  son,  Samuel,  unto 
the  Lord,  and  many  other  instances  too  numerous 
to  mention,  flood  our  minds  as  we  think  of  that 
first  call  for  Liberty  Loans  which  went  forth  during 
the  dispensation  of  the  Father. 

SECOND  CALL  FOR  LIBERTY  LOANS. 

During  the  dispensation  of  the  Son,  the  second 
call  for  Liberty  Loans  went  forth.  Those  who 
responded  and  left  all  to  follow  Jesus  received 
interest  on  their  sacrifice  immediately.  Those 
who  left  their  fish  nets  received  something  far 
better;  they  became  fishers  of  men.  To  those  who 
left  houses  and  lands  and  friends  to  follow  Jesus, 
He  said: 

"Everyone  that  hath  forsaken  houses,  or  breth- 
ren, or  sisters,  or  fathers,  or  mothers,  or 'wives,  or 
children,  or  lands,  for  my  Name's  sake,  shall  re- 
ceive an  hundred  fold,  and  shall  inherit  eternal 
life."  Instead  of  claiming  a  right  to  their  own 

348 


LIBERTY  BONDS — "OVER  THERE" 

fleshly  liberty  in  this  world,  liberty  to  live  their 
own  self-centered  lives,  the  disciples  and  followers 
of  Jesus  made  their  liberty  loans  unto  the  Lord 
that  the  great  battle  might  be  waged,  and  thalj 
they  might  attain  unto  that  most  excellent  glory 
"Over  There." 

Many  are  called  but  few  are  chosen,  and 
although  this  call  went  out  to  many,  comparatively 
few  responded.  The  rich  young  man  who  was 
invited  to  make  his  Liberty  Loan  by  selling  all  he 
had  and  giving  to  the  poor  and  following  the  meek 
and  lowly  Jesus  henceforth,  "went  sorrowing 
away." 

JUDAS,  for  a  petty  earthly  gain,  sold  his  right  to 
the  eternal  Liberty  Bond,  and  his  right 
to  reign  "Over  There." 

Through  the  short  ministry  of  the  Saviour  in 
this  world,  however,  there  were  a  few  who  heard 
and  responded  to  the  call  for  Liberty  Loans,  and 
left  all  to  follow  Him.  Out  of  this  number  we 
might  cite  a  very  few  cases  recorded  in  the  Word. 

PETER  yielded  his  liberty  unto  the  Lord,  and 
leaving  all  to  follow  his  Master's  lead- 
ings, secured  his  Liberty  Bond,  the  assurance  of 
reigning  with  Jesus;  and  neither  whippings,  mani- 
fold stripes,  imprisonments,  nor  even  death,  head 
downward  on  the  cross,  could  make  him  part  with 
that  Liberty  Bond,  and  his  hope  of  going  "Over 
There." 

STEPHEN  made  his  Liberty  Loan  unto  the  Lord, 
contending  even  unto  death  for  his 
freedom  and  liberty  "Over  There,"  a  freedom  and 
liberty  purchased  by  Jesus  on  the  cross.  Shortly 
before  he  kneeled  upon  the  ground  and  the  stones 
were  flying  through  the  air,  and  raining  with  a 
sickening  thud  upon  his  valiant  body,  his  soul, 
gazing  through  the  windows  of  his  vision,  saw 
"the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  man  standing 

349 


THIS  IS  THAT 

at  the  right  hand  of  God"    He  had  seen  a  vision 
of  the  land  "Over  There." 

PAUL  made  a  Liberty  Loan  unto  the  Lord,  and 
instead  of  reserving  his  liberty  to  live  his 
own  life  and  walk  in  favor  and  honor  with  the 
people  of  his  land,  he  gave  up  this  liberty  for  the 
Saviour  who  had  called  him  "as  one  out  of  due 
time."  He  received  in  exchange  his  Liberty  Bond 
as  security  and  declared  that  "neither  death  nor 
life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor 
things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor 
depth,  nor  any  other  creature  should  be  able  to 
separate  him  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord;"  and  rather  than  part 
with  his  Loberty  Bond,  his  written  agreement  and 
promise  of  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  "Over 
There,'7  as  revealed  through  the  Word  of  God,  he 
endured  the  lash,  the  prison  chains,  the  dungeons, 
the  nakedness  and  the  peril,  yea,  even  death  itself, 
rather  than  be  disloyal  to  his  heavenly  country 
and  King.  He  besought  his  brethren  that  they 
should  present  their  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  assur- 
ing them  that  this  was  their  reasonable  service. 

On  and  on  we  might  mention  case  after  case  of 
those  who  made  Liberty  Loans  unto  the  Lord, 
giving  freely  of  their  love,  their  praise,  their  time 
and  means  during  the  second  call  for  Liberty 
Loans. 

THIRD  CALL  FOR  LIBERTY  LOANS. 

Just  as  the  third  call  for  Liberty  Loans  is 
going  forth  in  our  land  today,  so  it  is  in  the  spirit 
realm  that  the  third  call  is  going  forth. 

With  the  ushering  in  of  the  dispensation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  began  the  sounding  forth  of  the  third 
call  for  spiritual  Liberty  Loans.  For  nineteen 
hundred  years  the  Spirit  has  been  sending  forth 
the  call  for  men  and  women  who  would  present 
themselves  unto  the  Lord,  men  and  women  who 
would  sacrifice  their  liberty  unto  His  cause,  men 

350 


LIBERTY  BONDS — "OVER  THERE" 

and  women  who  instead  of  using  their  liberty  to 
do  as  they  pleased  and  live  selfishly  unto  them- 
selves alone,  would  forego  this  liberty  and  make 
it  a  Liberty  Loan  unto  the  Lord,  reckoning  that 
they  were  not  their  own,  but  were  purchased  by  a 
price,  not  of  silver  nor  gold,  but  the  precious  blood 
of  Jesus. 

This  in  all  probability  will  not  be  the  last  call 
for  Liberty  Loans  sent  forth  from  the  government 
of  our  nation,  but  it  will  be  absolutely  the  last  call 
sent  forth  by  the  King  of  Heaven. 

With  the  closing  of  this  dispensation,  the  time 
to  purchase  Liberty  Bonds  for  eternity  will  have 
been  fulfilled,  for  once  the  good  man  of  the  house 
has  risen  up  and  shut  to  the  door,  no  man  will 
ever  be  able  to  open  it  again.  Banking  hours  will 
be  over,  and  the  Lord  will  say : 

"Wherefore  then  gavest  not  thou  my  money  into 
the  bank,  that  at  my  coming  I  might  have  required 
mine  own  with  usury  f" — Luke,  19-23. 

The  time  for  making  Liberty  Loans  unto  the 
Lord,  and  securing  these  eternal  Liberty  Bonds,  is 
almost  over,  and  those  intending  to  surmount 
every  difficulty  by  His  grace  and  press  on  to  the 
victor's  reward  and  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb, 
"Over  There,"  should  today  subscribe  to  the  very 
utmost  of  their  ability,  of  possessions,  time,  love 
and  praise,  that  they  may  secure  their  liberty 
bonds  entitling  them  to  be  among  the  number 
when  the  brave  soldiers  of  the  cross  come  marching 
down  the  golden  streets  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  for 
those  who  are  unwilling  to  leave  father  and 
mother,  houses  and  lands  for  His  sake  are  not 
worthy  to  be  called  His  disciples. 

Since  this  great  third  call  for  Liberty  Loans  has 
been  sounded  forth  through  the  power  of  the 
Spirit,  thousands  have  responded  and  given  up  all 
for  Jesus.  Martyrs  have  been  burned  at  the  stake 
—fed  to  the  lions — tossed  to  the  bulls  in  the 

351 


THIS  IS  THAT 

arenas — torn  limb  from  limb  on  the  rack — guil- 
lotined— eyes  burned  out — tortured  in  unspeak- 
able ways,  yet  through  all  the  dangers  they  have 
stood  firm  and  fought  the  good  fight  of  faith,  and 
have  marched  on  as  a  glorious  army  "Over  There." 

THE  LAST  GREAT  FIGHT  BETWEEN  THE  HOSTS  OF  DARK- 
NESS AND  THE  HOSTS  OF  LIGHT  IS  RAGING  TODAY 

as  never  before.  Victory  is  coming,  through  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  "kingdoms 
of  this  world"  shall  "become  the  kingdoms  of  our 
Lord  and  His  Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  forever 
and  ever." — Eev.  11 :15. 

If  you  long  to  be  over  there  when  the  soldiers 
go  sweeping  through  the  gates,  and  up  the  golden 
streets  in  triumph,  while  the  angelic  host  of 
Heaven  cheer,  and  the  bands  of  music  are  bursting 
forth  into  the  triumphant  march — 
If  you  would  join  the  everlasting  song  of  the 
redeemed — 

If  you  lay  any  claim  to  the  right  to  salute  the 
blood-stained  banner  of  Jesus  Christ — no  price 
will  be  too  great — no  sacrifice  too  costly — no 
Liberty  Loan  too  great  to  make  for  the  cause  of 
Jesus  Christ  today. 

You  will  make  your  Liberty  Loan  freely,  and 
with  the  "love  that  seeketh  not  her  own."  You 
will  give  all  your  body,  soul  and  spirit  to  His 
service  today,  and  cling  to  your  liberty  bonds,  yea, 
you  will  "stand  fast  therefore  in  the  Liberty 
wherewith  Christ  hath  made  you  free"  and  will 
not  be  again  entangled  with  the  yoke  of  bondage. 
(It  is  either  Liberty  Bonds  or  Devil  Bondage.) 
You  will  secure  your  Liberty  Bonds  not  because 
they  pay  big  interest,  not  because  they  are  the 
safest  investment  on  earth,  but  because  of  love  for 
Him  who  died  for  you  and  gave  Himself  freely 
for  your  redemption,  Heaven's  greatest.  Liberty 
Loan— Jesus. 

352 


MODERN  WARFARE— -"OVER  THE  TOP." 
MARCH,  1918. 

Enlistment — Good-bye  to  Everyone — Change  of 
Garments — The  Training  Camp — Embarkation  on 
the  Battleship  of  Faith — Enemy  Ships — The  Sub- 
marine— The  Airships — Munitions  and  Supplies — 
Trench  Digging — Mortars  for  the  Heavy  Artillery — 
Poisonous  Gas  and  Gas  Masks — Over  the  Top  to 
Victory. 

THE  GREATEST  battle  the  enemy  has  ever 
waged  is  being  fought  today.     This  battle  is 
raging  between  the  children  of  God  who  have, 
determined  to  go  through  with  Jesus,  and  every 
demon  in  hell,  for  all  are  arrayed  against  them  at 
this  time.     The  enemy,  knowing  that  his  time  is 
short,  is  putting  forth  every  effort  within  his  power 
and  it  is  only  as  we  keep  low  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  and 
under  His  blood  that  we  will  ever  be  able  to  with- 
stand his  terrific  onslaughts. 

Every  known  tactic  and  device  of  modern  war- 
fare is  employed  in  this  great  final  struggle  of 
today.  The  consummation  of  the  age  is  at  hand, 
a  ndwhatsoever  the  enemy  is  going  to  do  must  be 
done  quickly.  Therefore,  now  as  never  before,  we 
should  watch  and  pray,  be  wakeful,  be  vigilant, 
and  obey  our  leader,  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  was 
sent  by  the  Father  to  endue  us  with  power  during 
this  last  herculean  struggle. 

ENLISTMENT. 

Everywhere  one  turns  today,  posters  calling  for 
enlistment  into  the  Army  and  Navy  are  to  be 
found.  The  children  of  God  are  called  upon  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  enlist  in  the  Army  of  King 
Jesus  and  fight  as  good  soldiers  who  are  sure  of 
certain  victory.  The  Lord  is  not  calling  for  con- 
scription or  forced  service  in  His  army,  but  de- 
mands voluntary,  whole-hearted  enlistment  into 
His  service.  *$% 

353 


THIS  IS  THAT 
GOOD-BYE  TO  EVERYONE. 

Those  who  have  heard  the  call  and  are  willing 
to  obey  it  must  say  good-bye  to  their  old  world, 
good-bye  to  the  old  realms  of  sin,  good-bye  to 
worldly  companions,  good-bye  to  pleasure,  busi- 
ness, relations,  everything  that  would  hinder  or 
deter  their  going  forth  unhampered  into  the  Army 
of  the  Lord. 

MODERN  WARFARE. 

It  is  a  call  to  a  life  of  separation,  a  life  where 
we  are  in  the  world  and  yet  not  partakers  of  its 
worldliness  or  frivolity. 

CHANGE  OF  GARMENTS. 

After  saying  good-bye  to  old  associations,  we 
are  called  to  strip  off  all  civilian  clothing.  Each 
earthly  and  sinful  garment  must  be  laid  aside 
forever,  whether  it  is  a  robe  deep-dyed  with  sin 
stains,  or  a  white- washed  cloak  of  morality;  they 
must  be  left  behind  before  the  whole  armor  of 
our  God  is  put  on. 

"Wherefore  take  unto  you  the  whole  armor  of 
God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil 
day,  and  having  done  all  to  stand.  Stand  there- 
fore, having  your  loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and 
having  on  the  breast-plate  of  righteousness;  and 
your  feet  shod  with  the  preparation  of  the  gospel 
of  peace;  taking  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith  ye 
shaM  be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the 
wicked,  and  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God." — 
Ephesians  6:13-17. 

THE  TRAINING  CAMP. 

Next  comes  the  life  in  the  Training  Camp.  This 
training  camp  may  be  in  our  kitchen,  in  the  office, 
in  the  shop  or  in  the  field,  but  it  is  just  as  truly 
a  training  school  as  though  it  were  filled  with 
barracks  and  parade  grounds.  Long,  tedious  days 
may  follow;  days  of  drilling  and  marching;  days 

354 


MODERN  WARFARE "OVER  THE  TOP" 

of  practice  and  study;  days  of  doing  the  same 
thing  over  and  over  again  until  we  learn  to  do  it 
well  and  in  perfect  union  and  harmony  with  the 
rest  of  God's  soldiers;  days  when  spiritual  muscles 
unused  to  withstanding  the  enemy  will  ache  and 
cry  for  rest.  But  through  all  the  tests  and  the 
severest  trials,  if  we  so  see  His  hand  leading  and 
guiding,  if  we  so  lift  our  eyes  and  behold  "His 
banner  over  us  is  love"  so  that  there  is  peace  and 
contentment  and  a  longing  to  learn  our  lessons 
well,  we  are  spurred  onward  to  be  good  soldiers 
and  victorious  in  every  battle.  Oh,  those  grilling 
Training  Camp  days !  when  we  are  taught  that 
"he  who  ruleth  his  own  spirit  is  greater  than  he 
who  conquers  a  city."  Our  Captain  is  taking  each 
one  through  this  experience. 

EMBARKING  ON  THE  BATTLESHIP  OF  FAITH. 

Finally  there  comes  a  day  when  we  set  sail  on 
the  Battleship  of  FAITH.  All  land  is  out  of  sight 
and  we  feel  our  helplessness  and  utter  dependence 
upon  Him  as  never  before.  The  Spirit  warns  us 
that  there  are  enemy  ships  lurking  behind  yonder 
fogs  of  doubts  and  carelessness,  and  a  constant 
lookout  and  the  setting  of  a  constant  guard  is 
necessary. 

ENEMY  SHIPS. 

Suddenly  as  we  gaze  through  the  glasses  of 
discernment  and  care  we  see  a  great  battleship 
bearing  down  upon  us,  painted  drab,  and  so  inno- 
cently melting  into  the  surroundings  that  without 
the  warning  of  the  Spirit  we  should  not  have 
recognized  it  until  too  late. 

On  it  conies — belching  death  and  defeat  at 
every  loophole,  but  the  returning  shots  from  the 
broadside  of  the  Word  of  God  is  sufficient  and 
terrible  enough  when  fired  by  the  big  guns  of 
"FAITH"  and  "HUMILITY"  to  sink  any  ship 
that  can  come  against  the  children  of  God. 

355 


THIS  IS  THAT 
THE  SUBMARINE. 

At  times  the  enemy  comes  openly,  riding  on 
top  of  the  waves  of  our  daily  life;  but  more 
often,  as  the  perilous,  evil  days  continue,  he  comes 
to  us  beneath  the  waves  in  a  hidden,  subtle,  sub- 
marine manner.  It  is  only  the  earnest,  wakeful 
child  of  God  whose  eye  is  searching  the  wave  that 
will  detect  the  rising  of  the  little  periscope,  as 
the  enemy  seeks  to  find  his  range,  and  discharge 
his  torpedoes  of  discouragement,  doubts  and  over- 
whelming temptations.  But  Hallelujah  to  Jesus, 
He  has  a  few  submarine  destroyers  that  can 
divert  and  explode  every  trick  of  the  devil. 

There  is  the  submarine  destroyer  of  "Prayer," 
the  destroyers  of  "Hope,"  "Faith,"  and  "Love," 
the  destroyer  of  "Praise,"  and  the  great  Word  oij 
God,  these  put  every  foe  to  flight,  and  without 
these  protectors  you  cannot  withstand  one  attack 
of  the  enemy  in  these  last  days. 

Ships  are  sending  up  distress  signals,  ships  are 
sinking  all  about  us  today  because  of  their  lack  of 
watchfulness,  or  because  of  their  lack  of  prayer. 
There  is  no  escape,  no  other  pathway  that  leads 
to  the  overcomer's  goal,  for  the  only  pathway  leads 
through  the  war  zone.  God  is  calling  overcomers, 
not  cowards,  to  reign  with  Him  upon  His  throne. 

Watch  and  pray.  Pray  without  ceasing  and  in 
everything  give  thanks.  Let  your  eyes  be  anointed 
with  spiritual  discernment,  and  no  matter  how 
the  enemy  may  seek  to  camouflage  his  ships  or 
territory,  you  will  never  be  deceived. 

THE  AIRSHIPS. 

At  times  the  sky  above  you  on  land  or  on  sea 
may  be  filled  with  aeroplanes  of  the  enemy,  for 
the  principalities  and  powers  of  the  air  are  today 
arrayed  against  us  as  never  before ;  but  if  we  abide 
in  Him  and  obey  Him  in  humility,  there  is  not  an 
enemy  who  can  swoop  so  low  or  drop  a  bomb  of 
deceit,  evil  suggestions,  false  teaching  or  discour- 

356 


MODERN  WARFARE "OVER  THE  TOP" 

agement  but  will  be  brought  low  and  caused  to  fall 
in  flaming  defeat  by  the  guns  of  watchfulness  and 
prayer  mounted  on  the  power  of  Jesus'  name  and 
turned  heavenward. 

There  are  days  when  we  reach  the  land,  and  our 
pathway  leads  over  shot-torn  battlefields.  There, 
with  saddened  hearts  we  see  the  remains  of  many 
a  former  comrade  lying  strewn  about  us,  but  our 
Leader  speaks,  saying,  though  a  thousand  may 
fall  on  one  hand  and  ten  thousand  upon  the  other 
that  He  will  take  us  through  if  we  will  seek  His 
face  and  hide  in  Him. 

MUNITIONS  AND  SUPPLIES. 

Before  entering  the  great  battlefields  we  should 
make  sure  that  we  are  taking  with  us  plenty  of 
ammunition  and  plenty  of  solid  nourishing  food. 
Light  surface  blessings  and  effervescent  joys  do 
not  make  good  fighting  food  for  soldiers.  Wheat 
and  fats  are  necessary.  Be  sure  you  take  with 
you,  therefore,  a  goodly  supply  of  the  wheat  of 
God's  Word,  and  are  feeding  in  a  fat  pasture  upon 
the  deep  things  of  God. 

TRENCH  DIGGING. 

There  will  be  many  long  days  of  trench  digging 
as  you  go  down  in  humility  and  prayer,  hiding  in 
Him.  There  will  be  days  of  seeming  inactivity 
when  all  that  can  be  done  is  to  watch  and  hide 
ever  closer  in  His  depths.  There  are  days  ot 
quick  action  and  storming  the  enemy's  trenches; 
but  locked  in  this  struggle  as  His  people  are  to- 
day, Jesus  will  prevail  against  all  the  powers  of 
the  enemy  and  cause  those  who  put  their  trust 
in  Him  to  be  more  than  conquerors. 

MORTARS  AND   HEAVY  ARTILLERY. 

How  we  need  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  and  His 
strength  in  all  things,  whether  our  fighting  is  done 
with  the  long  distance  guns  of  faith  and  interces- 
sory prayer,  or  whether  it  is  a  hand-to-hand  fight 

357 


THIS  IS  THAT 

with  the  bayonets  of  patience  and  long-suffering 
and  love  amidst  trying  circumstances.  In  firing 
off  the  heavy  artillery  be  sure  that  you  have  laid  a 
solid  mortar  foundation,  for  if  your  guns  of  faith 
and  prayer  waver  in  uncertainty  you  must  not  ex- 
pect to  hit  the  mark  or  rout  the  enemy.  Do  not 
place  your  guns  upon  selfishness  or  self-centered 
aims,  for  this  foundation  will  never  hold. 

POISONOUS  GAS  AND  GAS  MASKS. 

Beware  of  poisonous  gases  of  spiritual  slumber 
and  slothfulness,  drifting  over  on  the  winds  of 
deception  from  the  enemy's  trenches.  These  pois- 
onous vapors  of  smoke  are  foretold  in  the  Word 
and  would  cause  you  to  sleep,  as  did  the  ten 
virgins  of  old  and  as  the  disciples  in  the  garden, 
until  you  forget  to  watch  and  pray  and  cease  your 
constant  vigilance.  When  you  see  these  clouds  of 
poisonous  gases  of  carelessness  coming  toward  you 
put  on  the  gas-mask  of  triple-plied  wakefulness, 
prayer  and  praise  and  you  will  be  unharmed. 

Never  exalt  or  raise  yourself  high  in  your 
trenches,  as  when  your  head  appears  above  ground 
you  will  be  a  sure  and  certain  mark  for  the 
enemy's  missiles.  Keep  low  at  Jesus'  feet  and 
you  will  be  safe. 

OVER  THE  TOP  TO  VICTORY. 

Finally  be  of  good  courage,  fellow-soldiers,  for 
there  is  nothing  to  fear,  while  you  watch  and  pray 
and  live  in  obedience  to  the  commands  of  our 
leader,  who  will  surely  win  the  day. 

Some  day,  very  soon,  the  battle  will  be  over,  the 
last  grim  foe  conquered,  and  the  crown  will  have 
been  won.  Some  day,  if  we  are  faithful  and  have 
overcome  even  as  He  overcame,  He  will  take  us  in 
triumph  to  reign  with  Him  upon  His  throne  for- 
ever and  forever. 

Throw  aside  all  weights,  all  slumber,  and  press 
on — "Over  the  Top."  Why,  the  end  is  in  view !  The 
victory  is  in  sight  already. 

358 


THE  RED  CROSS. 

No  Man's  Land — The  Shell-torn  Battlefield — 
High  Explosives  and  Means  of  Death — The  Red 
Cross  the  Only  Hope  of  the  Wounded — Stretcher 
Bearers — First  Aid  Equipment — The  Ambulance  of 
"Prayer" — The  Red  Cross  Hospital  Atop  Calvary's 
Hill — Its  Door  Open,  Cleanliness,  and  Skilled  Ten- 
der Hands — Removing  Stained  and  Muddied  Gar- 
ments— Bathing  the  Wounded — Soft  White  Robes 
— Operations,  Amputations  and  Probing  for  Hidden 
Shot  and  Shrapnel — Ever  Constant  Vigilance — 
Food  and  Rest,  Love  and  Safety  of  the  Red  Cross — 
"Let  ME  be  a  Red  Cross  Worker." 

BLEAK,  barren,  filled  with  deep  shell  holes 
and  constantly  churned  and  harrowed  by 
tons  of  high  explosives  poured  into  it  from 
the  fortifications  of  the  enemy,  there  lies 
a  narrow  strip  of  country  between  the  front  line 
trenches  of  the  Army  of  Righteousness  and  the  front 
line  trenches  of  the  devil  and  His  Satanic  hosts  that 
might  well  be  termed  No  Man's  Land,  for  those  who 
are  found  in  this  land  do  not  belong  to  Jesus,  nor  yet 
does   the   devil   fully   own   them   in    the   strictest 
sense   of   the   word,    till   he   has   conquered   body, 
soul    and   spirit,    and    cast    them    into    the    dark, 
eternal  prisons  of  Hell. 

The  great  battle  (wherein  hostilities  were 
opened  and  the  first  shot  fired  when  Satan  was 
cast  out  of  Heaven;  and  the  second  when  Satan 
ruthlessly  attacked  God's  dearest  creation,  Man- 
kind, in  the  Garden  of  Eden)  has  never  abated, 
but  has  swept  on  and  on  like  a  tornado,  gathering 
strength  and  momentum  and  ever  growing  in 
intensity. 

359 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  entire 
spiritual  "War  Zone''  there  is  no  region  so  filled 
with  danger,  so  unprotected,  so  swept  with  shot 
and  shell;  for  whilst  the  soldier  of  King  Jesus 
digs  deep  and  securely  entrenches  himself  in  the 
strongholds  of  his  Saviour's  love  ( Psalm  61 :3 ) 
and  of  His  power,  the  sinner  is  left  alone  in  No 
Man's  Land  at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy,  whose 
heavy  artillery,  machine  guns,  shrapnel,  barrage 
fire,  liquid  fire  and  poisonous  gases  pulverize, 
scorch  or  choke  all  who  come  within  their  reach. 

High  overhead  the  shells  of  overwhelming  evil, 
pressure  and  influence  from  the  devil's  heavy 
artillery,  scream  as  they  tear  through  the  air, 
intent  on  some  mission  of  destruction  and  death. 
Shot  from  the  rapid-firing  machine  guns  of  in- 
cessant temptation  whine  and  spit  in  the  dust  on 
every  side.  "Not  a  pleasant  place  to  dwell,"  you 
say?  Yet  this  is  just  the  position  of  every  sinner. 
Each  moment  spent  outside  of  the  lines  of  the 
Lord's  Battalions  is  fraught  with  the  gravest 
danger  of  death — yes,  death  eternally. 

Whenever  the  devil  can  get  a  favorable  wind 
(evil  influences  or  companions)  blowing  in  the 
sinner's  direction,  he  sends  out  his  poisonous 
gases,  causing  all  who  breathe  them  unprotected 
by  the  gas-mask  of  resistance  in  Jesus'  name,  to 
strangle  and  finally  pass  into  the  slumber  from 
which  few  awaken.  Through  the  smoke-laden  air 
can  be  discerned  the  dead  and  the  wounded.  The 
former  lie  still  and  cold;  the  latter  sprawl  pain- 
fully and  helplessly,  torn,  bleeding,  some  with 
eyes  put  out  with  shrapnel,  others  with  limbs  torn 
away,  shattered  shoulders  and  thighs,  some 
wounded  in  the  head,  while  in  others  the  shot  has 
buried  itself  deep  into  the  flesh.  There  they  lie, 
unable  to  help  themselves,  unable  to  help  each 
other.  In  order  to  reach  them  with  aid  and  succor 
one  would  need  to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  his  own 
life.  WHO  will  go? 

360 


THE  RED  CROSS 
THE  RED  CROSS  HOSPITAL  ON   CALVARY'S  HILL. 

Many  of  the  wounded  have  lain,  mangled  and 
bleeding,  for  long  hours,  longing  for  someone  to 
come  who  could  bring  relief  and  carry  them  to 
some  place  of  refuge.  EEFUGE?  Could  there  be 
a  place  of  R-E-F-U-G-E  within  traveling  distance 
of  this  bedlam  of  suffering  and  death?  Ah!  Yes, 
just  back  of  the  lines  .of  the  Army  of  Righteous- 
ness stands  a  hill  called  Calvary,  and  its  top  is 
crowned  with  a  glorious  hospital  where  woes  are 
wiped  away,  and  the  balm  of  Gilead  is  applied. 
This  hospital  is  known  as  the  Red  Cross.  It  is 
none  other  than  the  old,  rugged  cross,  stained  red 
with  the  blood  of  Him  who  died  that  we  might 
live,  whose  heart  was  broken  that  He  might  heal 
all  broken  hearts,  who  was  wounded  on  the 
blood-stained  cross  that  He  might  heal,  through 
His  wounds,  forever,  all  the  wounded  who  came 
unto  Him.  (Jer.  30:17).  Yes,  there  in  the  "open 
door"  (Rev.  3:8)  stands  the  great  Physician 
Himself;  but  who  will  go  after  and  bring  in  the 
wounded  and  dying  from  the  great  shell-torn 
battlefields  of  No  Man's  Land? 

THE  CRYING  NEED  OF  RED  CROSS  WORKERS. 

It  is  an  easy  matter  to  rescue  those  who  are 
wounded  or  fall  behind  the  lines  (Psalms  37:24), 
but  who  will  be  willing  to  go  without  the  camp, 
and  outside  of  the  lines,  willing  to  lay  down  his 
life  to  rescue  the  wounded  brother  and  become  a 
worker  for  the  Red  Cross?  The  hospital  cannot 
come  to  the  wounded,  therefore  there  is  vital  need 
for  human  instrumentality,  Red  Cross  workers 
with  the  Red  Cross  seal  upon  their  foreheads  and 
upon  their  left  arms,  and  equipped  with  bandages, 
lint,  gauze,  sets  of  tourniquets,  splints,  restora- 
tives, etc.,  go  forward  with  the  ambulance  of 
"Prayer"  and  the  stretcher  of  "Faith." 

Out  there,  on  the  fields  of  sin  of  No  Man's  Land 

361 


THIS  IS  THAT 

lie  hundreds  and  thousands  of  wounded  souls 
( Isaiah  1 :6 ) ,  looking,  calling^  perishing,  dying  for 
the  need  of  Red  Cross  workers  to  carry  them  to 
Jesus  in  Faith  and  Prayer.  There  are  those 
amongst  the  wounded  who  cry  aloud  in  agony  of 
spirit,  and  there  are  those  who  keep  back  the  cry 
of  suffering  between  set  teeth,  that  the  on-looker 
should  not  know  the  secret  torture.  Others  lie 
unconscious  of  their  grave  danger  and  nearness  to 
eternity's  black  night,  without  Jesus. 

THE   COMING  OF  THE  AMBULANCE. 

Shot  and  bursting  shell  fragments  are  falling 
all  around,  threatening  to  extinguish  the  last  spark 
of  life  and  hope.  Will  no  one  heed  the  call?  "Ah, 
Yes!"  cries  a  voice,  "I  see  a  little  procession 
coming  down  from  Calvary's  Hill.  They  are 
coming  with  their  ambulances  and  help." 

"How  do  you  know  it  is  not  some  ammunition, 
or  supply  conveyance?"  asks  another  sufferer, 
grown  skeptical  from  long  waiting. 

"I  know  it  is  help  coming  speedily  because  I 
see  the  sign  on  the  side  of  the  car.  It  is  composed 
of  a  pure  white  background  (the  spotless 
righteousness  and  purity  of  Jesus)  and  on  the 
white  background  is  a  big  KED  CROSS  (Col. 
1:20). 

Nearer  and  nearer  the  ambulances  come.  Other 
cars  and  supply  trucks  have  dashed  by  on  the 
other  side  unheeding  (Luke  10:31-32),  but  the 
ambulance  comes  right  to^  the  spot  where  the 
wounded  lie  ( Luke  10 :34 ) .  Leaping  from  the 
car,  the  workers  of  the  Ked  Cross,  bearing  their 
stretcher  of  faith,  pass  by  the  dead,  now  beyond 
aid  (Jas.  1:15)  and  press  on  to  the  wounded 
(Matt.  22:32).  Opening  their  "First  Aid"  equip- 
ment, they  kneel  beside  the  soul  suffering  from 
the  wounds  of  the  devil. 

First  and  most  important,  the  worker  of  the 
Ked  Cross  carries  a  set  of  tourniquets  of  all  sizes. 

362 


THE  RED  CROSS 

These  are  made  to  adjust  to  any  part  of  the 
wounded  man's  body  where  an  artery  may  spurt. 
The  first  glance  at  the  wounded  man  tells  the 
bearer  whether  blood  is  being  lost  in  dangerous 
amount.  The  bearers  have  instructions  to  lose 
not  a  second  where  this  instrument  can  be  used. 
Prevailing  prayer,  coupled  with  the  Word  of  God, 
and  the  authority  and  power  in  the  mighty  Name 
above  every  name,  can  be  so  firmly  wrapped 
about  the  wounded  limb  that  the  life-giving  flow 
that  is  ebbing  away  will  be  stayed.  There  is  a 
portion  of  God's  eternal  Word  and  a  prevailing 
prayer  that  can  fit  any  part  of  the  body  or  soul, 
no  matter  what  conditions .  or  circumstances  may 
be. 

An  array  of  mental  splints  formed  of  Faith, 
Hope  and  Love  is  second  in  the  bearer's  pack. 
Often  the  wounded  man  is  so  shattered  that  he 
cannot  be  moved  without  killing  him  unless  rein- 
forcements are  attached  to  his  mutilated  limbs. 
Lint,  gauze  and  bandages  ( Ezek.  34 :16 )  supple- 
ment these.  Each  bearer  should  have  a  thorough 
training  in  bandaging  (Rom.  12:15),  (Isaiah  1:6). 
Restoratives  (Jer.  30:17)  are  administered  and 
the  wounded  man  laid  gently  upon  the  stretcher 
of  "Faith,"  carried  to  the  ambulance  of  "Prayer" 
and  the  motor  of  "Love,"  whose  power  is  supplied 
by  the  oil  of  the  Spirit  is  started.  The  car  is 
turned  toward  the  Red  Cross  hospital  on  Calvary's 
Hill.  Tender  and  skillful  handling  and  driving 
are  necessary,  as  often  rough  handling  and  unwise 
treatment  kill  the  little  spark  of  life  left  in  the 
patient. 

Up  and  up,  nearer  and  nearer  the  dear  old  Red 
Cross  Hospital  on  the  Hill,  in  the  Ambulance  of 
Prayer,  the  wounded  man  is  carried  till  at  last  he 
is  brought  to  the  "Open  Door"  (Rev.  3:8),  where 
the  Great  Physician  (Mark  2:17)  is  standing  with 
a  smile  of  tenderness  to  receive  the  suffering,  sin- 

363 


THIS  IS  TPIAT 

sick  soul.    Within,  all  is  shining  with  immaculate 
cleanliness,  for  this 

HOSPITAL  FOR  THE  HEALING  OF  BODY,,  SOUL  AND  SPIRIT 

is  none  other  than  the  "Fountain  of  Blood"  drawn 
from  EmmanuePs  veins. 

Tender  yet  firm  hands  are  ready  there  to  help 
the  weak  soul  and  support  him  within  the  interior 
of  this  refuge,  while  his  sin-sick  soul  is  throbbing 
forth  the  prayer: 

"Blessed  be  the  fountain  of  blood, 
To  a  world  of  sinners  revealed, 
Blessed  be  the  dear  Son  of  God, 
Only  by  His  stripes  we  are  healed. 
Saviour,  to  that  fountain  of  Thine, 
Leaning  on  Thy  promise  I  go, 
Cleanse  me  by  that  washing  of  Thine, 
And  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow." 
Upon  his  arrival  at  the  Bed  Cross  Hospital  (the 
fountain    of   blood   that   flowed    from    the    blood- 
stained  cross   of   Jesus)    before   much   treatment 
can  be  given,  or  wounds  be  dressed,  the  verminous, 
stained    and   muddied   garments   of    sin   and    un- 
cleanliness  must  be  removed    (Jude  23).     Gently 
each  garment  of  the  world  is  taken  or  cut  away. 
(Workers  of  the  Ked  Cross  should  use  great  care 
in  performing  this  task,  and  deal  gently,  ofttimes 
leaving  this  work  to  the  Head  Physician — Jesus 
Himself — for  if  rough  handling  is  given  and  the 
earthly   garments   and   habits   jerked    off   in    our 
conscientious,  but  crude,  unwise  way,  death  may 
result  to  the  weak  man.     Jesus  can  remove  each 
garment   that   is   stained   by   sin,   and   strip   him 
almost  painlessly,  if  the  patient  will  be  pliable  and 
yielding  in  His  dear  hands. ) 

THE  OPERATING  ROOM. 

As  soon  as  the  old  worldly  garments  have  been 
stripped  away,  the  patient  is  bathed  and  thor- 
oughly cleansed  from  head  to  foot,  and  indeed  the 

364 


THE  RED  CROSS 

blood  of  Jesus  cleanseth  from  ALL  SIN.  Many  a 
time  the  wounded  man  has  to  be  placed  upon  the 
operating  table  and  portions  of  shot  or  the  devil's 
shrapnel  that  have  been  buried  within  the  flesh, 
must  be  probed  for,  no  matter  how  painful,  till 
all  foreign  matter  has  been  removed.  But  as  the 
Physician  applies  the  knife  and  the  probe  He 
whispers,  "Be  still,  My  child,  faithful  are  the 
wounds  of  a  friend  ( Prov.  27 :6 )  and  I  wound  that 
I  may  heal."  And  He  probes  deeper  and  deeper 
till  the  shell  is  reached  and  removed. 

AMPUTATIONS. 

There  are  times  when  some  member  of  the  body, 
perhaps  an  arm  or  a  limb,  has  to  be  amputated 
(something  that  has  marred  and  hindered  our 
spiritual  life,  perhaps  a  dear  one  or  a  treasured 
possession)  but  through  the  pain  the  Physician 
explains  while  the  hand  or  foot  is  being  cut  off 
that  "It  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  halt  or 
maimed  than  having  two  hands  and  two  feet  to 
be  cast  into  hell."  Many  have  had  one  eye  so 
badly  blinded  or  hurt  that  it  had  to  be  removed, 
but  through  it  all  the  Saviour's  voice  goes  on : 
"It  is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  with  one 
eye,  rather  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast  into 
Hell."  (Matt.  18:8,9.) 

Sometimes  as  His  dear  hands  are  dealing  with 
the  injured  man,  cleansing  wounds,  applying  His 
ointment,  and  assuring  him  that  he  will  heal  him 
of  his  wounds  (Jer.  30:17)  and  applying  the  band- 
ages, according  to  Psalms  147:3,  which  says  He 
healeth  the  broken  in  heart,  and  bindeth  up  their 
wounds,  the  patient  looks  up  and  sees  that  the 
hands  of  the  Great  Physician  Himself  are 
wounded,  and  he  cries  out  in  amazement:  "What 
are  these  wounds  in  thine  hands?"  Then  He 
answers:  "Those  with  which  I  was  wounded  in 
the  house  of  my  friends."  (Zach.  13:6.)  "Not 
only  my  hands,  but  my  feet,  my  side  and  my  brow 

365 


THIS  IS  THAT 

were  wounded  for  your  transgressions."  And 
shamed  before  His  great  sacrifice  and  love,  his 
murmuring  dies  away  and  he  cries :  "O  Lord, 
continue  your  dealings,  no  matter  what  it  means. 
I  trust  you,  Lord." 

REST  AND  FOOD. 

The  operating  room  experience  over,  the  patient 
is  soon  placed  in  bed  to  rest  (Psa.  23:2),  but  first 
he  is  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white  (Rev. 
19:8).  Then  as  the  weary  finds  rest,  wounds 
bound  and  beginning  to  heal  already,  clean  in 
body  and  soul,  he  whispers :  "I  icill  lay  me  down  in 
peace,  and  sleep;  for  Thou  Lord  only  maketli  me 
dwell  in  safety."  ( Psa.  4  :8. ) 

Here  in  the  Red  Cross  Hospital  are  found  food 
and  rest  and  love  and  safety.  The  Physician  is 
always  on  call,  and  ever  watches  in  vigilance 
over  him,  for  He  never  slumbers  nor  sleeps.  (Psa. 
121:3.) 

(The  food  for  convalescents,  nurses  must  re- 
member, should  not  often  be  given  as  strong  as 
to  well  people,  but  the  milk  of  the  Word,  the  wine 
of  the  Kingdom,  the  bread  of  Life,  and  later,  as 
the  patient  grows  stronger,  the  strong  meat  may 
be  given  under  the  direction  and  supervision  of 
the  Great  Physician.) 

Those  who  dwell  within  the  fountain  of  blood, 
which  is  indeed  a  hospital  where  Avoes  are  soothed 
away  and  broken  hearts  healed,  located  at  the 
foot  of  the  red,  blood-stained  cross  of  Jesus?  are 
safe  and  immune  from  danger  (Rom.  8:38,39). 
Above  it,  unfurled  to  the  breeze,  flies  the  blood- 
stained banner  of  the  cross,  the  Red  Cross  on  its 
background  of  the  pure  white  holiness  of  Jesus, 
and  though  the  devil's  airships,  principalities  and 
powers  of  the  air  may  soar  aloft  above  us, 
though  demons  may  rage,  and  great  long-distance 
guns  may  fire  their  great  explosives  and  shell  all 
about  us,  he  is  safe  who  abides  under  the  protec- 

366 


THE  RED  CROSS 

tion  of  the  blood,  the  unfurled  banner  of  the  cross, 
and  the  protection  of  Jesus,  his  Lord. 

"LET  ME  BE  A  RED  CROSS  WORKER.'' 
Then  (growing  stronger  day  by  day)  with  the 
return  of  strength,  conies  the  great  over-whelming 
love  of  the  Ked  Cross  and  all  it  has  meant  to  him. 
The  shuddering,  awful  thought  of  the  field  from 
which  he  has  been  rescued — the  firing  of  the 
cannon,  the  smoke  of  battle,  the  moans  and  heart- 
rending cries  of  misery — fill  the  soul  with  a  new- 
born desire  and  determination  to  himself  be 
marked  with  the  insignia  of  the  RED  CROSS. 
Provided  with  an  ambulance  of  prayer  and  the 
stretcher  of  Faith,  carrying  the  Word  of  God,  and 
his  First  Aid  to  the  wounded  kit,  he  would  go 
forth  to  sacrifice  even  life  itself.  The  cry  of  his 
whole  heart  is,  "O  that  I  might  go  and  bring  in 
other  souls,  even  as  I  was  brought  to  the  cross ! 
O,  that  others  might  know  of  the  balm  of  Gilead, 
and  the  hospital  a-top  blest  Calvary's  Hill !  O, 
Dear  Saviour,  let  ME  be  a  Red  Cross  Worker!" 


367 


THE  TWO  HOUSES. 

THE   HOUSE   ON    THE   SAND   AND    THE    HOUSE    ON 
THE  ROCK. 

EVERY  man,  woman  and  child  throughout 
this  world  is  erecting  a  building.    "Except 
the  Lord  built  the  house,  they  labor  in 
vain  that  build  it."    Ps.  127 :1. 
The  great  army  of  house-builders  is  divided  into 
two    classes,    namely,    the   sinner   and   the    saint. 
(Bight  here  let  us  make  it  plain,  that  each  indi- 
vidual is  either  a  sinner  or  a  saint.     It  is  impos- 
sible to  be  both;  it  is  impossible  to  be  neutral; 
there  is  no  half-way  business  with  God.     Either 
you  are  the  child  of  the  Lord  or  you  are  serving 
the  devil — there  is  no  middle  territory.) 

Just  as  there  are  only  two  classes  of  house- 
builders,  just  so  there  are  but  two  foundations, 
the  sandy  foundation  of  sin  and  unrighteousness, 
which  lies  in  the  devil's  domain,  and  the  solid 
Rock,  which  is  Jesus  Christ. 

THE  MAN  ON  THE  SAND  GATHERS  HIS  MATERIAL. 

The  sinner  is  building  day  by  day.  His  mind  is 
not  troubled  by  the  lack  of  foundation.  He  does 
not  deem  it  at  all  necessary  to  dig  deep,  but  be- 
gins erecting  the  edifice  of  his  life  by  bringing  up 
the  stones  of  unrepentance,  and  wilfulness;  the 
stones  of  sin  and  unbelief;  and  piling  them,  mo- 
ment by  moment,  hour  by  hour,  day  by  day,  year 
by  year,  one  upon  another,  on  the  sands  of  this 
life. 

The  stones  of  evil  thoughts  and  distrustfulness 
are  piled  up  day  by  day.  The  stones  of  pride,  sel- 
fishness and  hardness  of  heart  toward  God  take 
their  places  in  the  building,  which  is  growing 
moment  by  moment  into  a  life  and  structure  which 
will  surely  fall  in  the  great  day,  when  God's  judg- 
ments are  poured  out  upon  the  world. 

368 


WHERE    ARE    YOU    BUILDING— ON    THE     SHIFTING 
SANDS  OR  THE  ROCK  OF  AGES? 


THE  TWO  HOUSES 

THE    MAN    ON    THE    ROCK    DIGS    A    FOUNDATION    AND 
GATHERS     HIS    BUILDING    MATERIAL. 

While  in  New  York  City  sometime  ago,  I  was 
very  much  impressed  with  the  great  world-famed 
sky-scrapers.  For  many  weeks,  yes,  months,  I 
saw  a  high  board  fence  built  around  a  certain  lot. 
Behind  this  board  fence,  and  above  it,  I  could 
see  great  cranes  and  derricks,  and  hear  the  steel 
drills. 

Dozens  of  men  were  working  there,  drilling  and 
digging,  and  blasting  down  into  the  solid  rock; 
down,  and  down,  and  down  they  went,  digging  a 
foundation  for  the  great  steel  sky-scraper  Avhich 
was  soon  to  be  erected,  and  one  of  the  men  as- 
sured me  that  the  higher  the  building  was  to  be 
the  deeper  the  foundation  must  be  sunk  into  the 
solid  rock. 

After  having  been  away  for  a  short  visit  and 
returning  again  to  the  city,  my  eyes  opened  wide 
Avith  surprise  as  I  saw  the  steel  building  so 
quickly  taking  shape,  and  towering  with  imposing 
grandeur  above  its  neighbors.  Why,  it  really 
seemed  that  it  took  longer  to  build  the  foundation 
than  to  put  the  steel  frame-work  of  the  building 
together. 

This  is  a  very  apt  illustration,  it  seems  to  me, 
of  the  Christian's  life,  as  he  prepares  to  build 
upon  the  solid  Rock,  Christ  Jesus. 

First  of  all  he  -digs  a  deep  foundation  of  re- 
pentance, and  goes  down  in  humility  into  Jesus, 
his  Lord.  He  plunges  into  the  foun- 
THE  tain  filled  with  the  blood.  He  falls 
FOUNDATION  prostrate  at  the  dear,  pierced  feet  of 
his  Master;  for  indeed  the  way  down 
is  the  way  up,  in  our  spiritual  life.  "He  that 
Inunbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 

His  neighbors  may  laugh  at  him  and  tell  him 
this  digging  deep,  this  weeping  and  mourning  over 

369 


THIS  IS  THAT 

his  sins  is  not  at  all  necessary;  but  the  work  goes 
on.  The  great  boulders  of  hindrance  must  be 
blasted  by  the  love  and  power  of  God.  Every  ob- 
stacle must  be  removed,  and  a  solid,  settled,  foun- 
dation made.  He  must  dig  deep  into  the  atoning 
work  of  Jesus,  before  the  building  of  his  Christian 
life  can  be  constructed.  "But  h't  every  man  take 
heed  how  he  buildeth  thereon,  for  other  foundation 
can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ." 

The  foundation  having  been  laid,  the  building 
begins  to  take  shape.  Upon  the  stones  of  repent- 
ance and  Godly  fear,  are  laid  the  stones  of  mercy 
and  divine  tenderness.  The  boundless  grace  and 
love  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  stones  of  sincerity  and 
truth,  the  stones  of  thanksgiving  and  glorious 
praises  to  the  Lord  of  his  salvation,  are  added  to 
the  building.  Love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness  and  tem- 
perance are  piled  moment  by  moment,  day  by 
day,  year  by  year,  one  upon  another. 

The  stones  of  love  and  unselfishness,  a  longing 
for  souls,  and  a  yielding  to  the  will  of  God,  a 
desire  to  live  like  Him  and  abide  in  His  presence 
are  added  again  to  these;  and  so  the  work  goes 
on,  by  each  word,  and  deed  and  thought,  here  a 
little  and  there  a  little,  precept  upon  precept, 
line  upon  line,  tier  upon  tier. 

"Jesus  Christ  being  the  chief  corner  stone,  the 
building  is  fitly  framed  together,  and  groweth  into 
a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord,  for  a  habitation  of  God 
through  the  Spirit." 

Next  in  importance  in  the  house  comes  the  door 
through  which  admission  is  gained  into  the  house. 
As  for  the  sinner  who  builds  upon  the 
THE  sand — "Sin  lieth  at  the  door" — the  devil, 
DOORS  who  is  the  controlling  agent  of  his  will- 
power, is  the  door-keeper;  thus  the  door 
swings  on  its  hinges  to  admit  the  worldliness,  and 

370 


THE  TWO  HOUSES 

sin,  and  evil  thoughts  and  companions,  who 
occupy  the  rooms  within. 

The  door  is  ever  shut  and  locked  against  God  as 
He  is  manifested  through  the  great  love  of  Christ 
— ever  shut  and  barred  to  the  wooings  of  the 
Spirit  and  the  rappings  of  that  gentle  hand.  His 
ears  are  closed  to  the  voice  that  is  saying,  "Be- 
hold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and  knock;  if  any  man 
wilt  open,  I  will  come  in  and  sup  with  him  and 
he  with  Me" — closed  to  the  warnings  of  the  Sav- 
iour who  would  plead  with  him  to  leave  this  sandy 
foundation,  and  this  perishable  building,  which 
can  never  stand  the  storm,  and  to  the  invitation 
to  him  to  come  over  and  build  upon  the  solid  Rock, 
Christ  Jesus. 

The  door  of  the  child  of  God  who  builds  upon 
the  rock,  is  not  so;  but  righteousness,  through  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  standeth  as  doorkeeper.  The 
blood  of  the  slain  Lamb  is  sprinkled  upon  the 
door-posts  and  the  lintels.  The  door  is  ever  open 
to  admit  the  leadings  of  the  Lord,  the  dealings  of 
His  Spirit,  His  righteousness,  and  all  His  blessed 
will,  and  swings  shut  to  bar  out  the  things  of  the 
Avorld,  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  which  are  displeas* 
ing  to  the  Lord,  his  Maker.  Thus  his  rooms  are 
occupied  by  faith,  and  hope  and  love. 

Next  in  importance  come  the  windows  in  the 
two  houses.  The  windows  of  the  sinner  are  dark- 
ened with  the  things  of  this  world,  and 

THE  his  vision  impaired.  He  can  not  real- 
WINDOWS  ize  his  own  danger,  and  his  viewpoint 
is  distorted.  He  cannot  foresee  the 
awful  storm  of  wrath  which  is  soon  to  break. 
"When  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall  tremble,  and 
the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves,  and  the 
grinders  cease  because  they  are  few,  and  those 
that  look  out  of  the  windows  be  darkened" 

The  windows  of  the  saint  are  illuminated  with 
the  glory  of  God,  as  revealed  by  the  Spirit.  His 

371 


THIS  IS  THAT 

view  is  clear  as  he  gazes  into  the  future  and  be- 
holds that — 

"There's  a  land  that  is  fairer  than  day, 

And  by  faith  he  can  see  it  afar, 
For  the  Father  waits  over  the  way, 

To  prepare  him  a  dwelling-place  there." 

Those  who  stand  without  his  walls  see  the  light 
of  the  Lord  shining  through,  for — 

"Behold,  he  standeth  behind  our  wall,  He  look- 
eth  forth  at  the  windows,  showing  himself  through 
the  lattice.  Song  of  Sol.  2 :9. 

In  his  dining-room  the  sinful  man  who  is  build- 
ing upon  the  sand,  is  feasting  upon  the  things  of 
this  world;  he  says  to  his  soul:  "Soul, 
DINING  thou  hast  much  goods  laid  up  for  many 
ROOMS  years;  take  thine  ease,  eat,  drink  and  be 
merry."  But  God  is  saying  unto  him: 
"Thou  fool!  This  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required 
of  thee;  then  whose  shall  these  things  be  which 
thou  hast  provided."  Luke  12 :19-20.  He  feasts 
upon  things  that  can  never  satisfy  the  hunger  of 
the  soul  that  is  craving  after  God.  He  is  as  one 
that  "dreameth,  and  behold,  he  eateth;  but  he 
awaketh  and  his  soul  is  empty."  Isa.  29 :8. 

In  his  dining-room,  the  child  of  God  is  feasting 
on  the  milk,  and  the  honey  and  the  wine.  The 
fruits  of  Canaan  are  spread  before  him.  The 
bread  of  life  is  his,  and  for  him  the  glorious  crys- 
tal waters  flow  from  the  throne  of  God.  The  voice 
of  the  Bridegroom  is  heard  speaking: 

"I  am  come  into  my  garden,  my  sister,  my 
spouse;  I  have  gathered  my  myrrh  ivith  my  spice; 
I  have  eaten  my  honeycomb  with  my  honey;  I  have 
drunk  my  wine  with  my  milk:  eat,  0  friends* 
drink,  yea,  drink  abundantly,  0  beloved."  Song 
of  Sol.  5:1. 

While  the  sinner  is  feasting  upon  the  applause 
of  his  fellow-men,  and  the  treasures  of  this  world, 
the  children  of  the  Most  High  are  dining  at  the 

372 


THE  TWO  HOUSES 

• 

table  of  the  Lord — dining  upon  his  righteousness 
and  love;  upon  the  joys  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
and  their  souls  are  filled  to  overflowing,  as  He 
leadeth  them  through  the  green  pastures  of  His 
Word. 

The  inmates  of  the  house  which  is  builded  upon 

sand  are  dancing  to  the  tunes  of  this  world  and 

its  applause — dancing  to  the  strains  of 

DANCING     earthly    popularity,     and     self-centered 

HALLS       aims.    Outside,  threatening  storm-clouds 

of  death's  dark  night  are  gathering,  and 

the  rolling  thunders  seem  to  cry  aloud  in  warning. 

The  wrath  of  God  is  soon  to  be  poured  out,  but 

unheedingly  they  dance  on  and  on,  ever  nearing 

the  brink  of  destruction  and  hell. 

The  inmates  of  the  house  on  the  rock  are  danc- 
ing, too.  You  remember  as  the  brother  of  the 
prodigal  son  approached  his  father's  house,  he 
heard  the  sound  of  music  and  dancing.  Some 
folks  seem  to  think  the  devil  has  a  monopoly  on  all 
the  dancing  and  joy;  but  dancing  and  joy  really 
belong  to  God,  and  as  the  devil  cannot  steal  it  he 
has  tried  to  counterfeit  it. 

Within  the  heart  of  him  whose  hopes  are  built 
upon  the  solid  foundation  of  Christ  and  His  right- 
eousness, there  is  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory,  for:  "His  mourning  has  been  turned  into 
dancing,"  Ps.  30:11,  and  "There  the  virgins  re- 
joice in  the  dance,  both  old  and  young  together." 
Jer.  31 :13.  They  "Praise  Him  with  the  'timbrel 
and  dance,"  Ps.  150 :4,  and  cry :  "Let  them  praise 
His  name  in  the  dance."  Ps.  149 :3. 
"For  the  children  of  the  Lord  have  a  right  to  shout 
and  sing, 

For  the  way  is  growing  bright,  and  our  souls  are 
on  the  wing,  , 

We  are  going  bye  and  bye  to  the  palace  of  the 
King. 

Glory  to  God,  Hallelujah!" 

373 


THIS  IS  THAT 

• 

As  for  the  sinner — his  bed  is  so  short  that  he  can- 
not stretch  himself  upon  it,  and  the  covering  so 
narrow  that  he  cannot  wrap  himself 

BED-  in  it.  Isa.  28 :20.  When  he  lies  down 
CHAMBERS  at  night  there  is  an  unrest  in  his  heart, 
for  he  is  unprepared  to  meet  his  God; 
his  conscience  is  troubled  as  the  Spirit  of  God 
strives  with  him,  assuring  him  that  "Whatsoever 
a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap"  and  his 
covering  of  self-righteousness  and  excuses  cannot 
cover  or  conceal  him  from  the  eye  of  God. 

As  for  the  child  of  God,  his  rest  is  sweet  in  the 
Lord.  He  hears  the  voice  of  the  Psalmist  ringing 
down  through  the  ages:  "I  remember  Thee  upon 
my  bed,  and  meditate  on  Thee  in  the  night 
watches"  Ps.  63:6.  Let  "the  saints  be  joyful  in 
glory.  Let  them  sing  aloud  upon  their  beds." 
Ps.  149 :5. 

O,  the  peace  that  belongeth  unto  the  child  of 
God,  to  know  that  if  his  eyes  never  open  again, 
"to  be  absent  from  the  body  is  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord,"  and  "to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is 
gain." 

The  Word  tells  us  that  "Where  your  treasure  is, 
there  will  your  heart  be  also."  The  worldly  man 
is  storing  up  treasures  of  this  world's 
TREASURE  goods,  heaping  to  himself  riches, 
ROOMS  houses  and  lands.  He  tears  down  his 
barns  and  builds  greater,  and  there  be- 
stows his  fruits  and  goods.  He  bids  his  soul  take 
its  ease,  because  he  has  much  goods  laid  up  for 
many  years.  But  God  is  speaking  to  him  through 
His  word,  saying:  "Thou  fool,  this  night  thy 
soul  shall  be  required  of  thee:  then  whose  shall 
these  things  be,  which  thou  hast  provided?"  He 
has  laid  up  treasure  for  himself,  but  is  not  rich 
toward  God.  "For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he 
gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul?" 

The  worldly  man  takes  no  thought  of  the  great 

374 


THE  TWO  HOUSES 

tomorrow,  and  does  not  seem  to  realize  that  he 
cannot  take  one  penny  away  with  him.  Born 
into  this  world  naked  and  without  a  penny,  he  will 
have  to  enter  into  the  next  world  in  the  same 
condition. 

The  child  of  God  is  laying  up  treasure  above 
"where  moth  and  rust  do  not  corrupt,  and  where 
thieves  do  not  break  through  nor  steal/'  The  poor- 
est child  of  God,  who  lives  in  the  humblest  cottage 
in  the  dell,  and  has  laid  up  treasure  in  the  world 
beyond  is  richer  than  an  ungodly  king  that  sits 
upon  his  throne,  with  all  his  splendor,  for  his 
riches  are  laid  away  in  Heaven,  and  will  not  pass 
away  throughout  the  endless  ages  of  eternity. 

The  Lookout  Tower  of  the  sinner,  and  the  Look- 
out Tower  of  the  saint  are  totally  different.  Both 
look  out  upon  life,  but  from 
LOOKOUT  TOWER  very  different  viewpoints.  The 
AND  Search-light  of  the  sinner's  vis- 

SEARCH-LIGHT  ion  goes  through  all  the  earth, 
searching  for  earthly  posses- 
sion, earthly  treasure,  earthly  pleasures  and  pop- 
ularity. From  his  lookout  tower,  the  search- 
light of  the  sinner's  eye  is  ever  turning  expect- 
antly and  inquiringly,  from  one  end  of  the  land 
to  the  other — Searching,  searching,  SEARCH- 
ING, ever  searching  for  new  amusement,  new 
pleasure  or  gain,  ever  seeking  something  to  still 
that  gnawing  hunger  that  is  eating  into  his  heart; 
ever  endeavoring  to  satisfy  the  longing  in  his  soul, 
which,  if  he  but  knew  it,  nothing  but  God  can  sat- 
isfy. 

DARK  CLOUDS  APPROACHING  STORM — GOD'S  WRATH. 

The  dark  clouds  of  the  approaching  storm  of 
God's  wrath  are  filling  the  sky  above  the  sinner's 
head.  He  refuses  to  see  them,  for  he  has  eyes 
only  for  earthly  things.  Then,  though  the  thun- 
ders crash  with  deafening  roar  about  him  in  these 

375 


THIS  IS  THAT 

last  days  of  war  and  tribulation — though  the 
lightnings  flash  and  strike  round  about  him — he 
refuses  to  believe  that  this  is  more  than  a  passing 
shower,  and  his  search-light  still  continues  to  wan- 
der restlessly  throughout  the  earth  for  new 
achievements  and  honors. 

The  wise  man,  who  has  built  his  house  upon 
the  rock  has  his  search-light  constantly  turned 
upward  toward  the  Heavens.  God  is  his  high 
tower,  in  which  he  is  safe  from  the  enemy.  He 
has  set  the  watchmen  of  Vigilance  and  Prayer 
upon  his  walls,  of  whom  he  is  ever  enquiring: 
"Watchman,  what  of  the  night?"  Is.  21:11.  The 
watchman's  answering  voice  can  be  heard  saying: 
"The  dark  night  of  God's  wrath  is  breaking  over 
the  wrhole  world.  The  hour  of  storm  and  tribula- 
tion is  at  hand;  the  great  ocean  of  God's  love, 
which  has  floated  on,  calm  as  a  river  and  deep  as 
the  sea,  through  the  many  centuries  of  sin  and 
unbelief,  is  noAv  being  churned  into  a  mighty 
storm  of  wrath." 

The  storm  signals  are  all  set,  the  danger  signals 
are  up,  and  woe  to  that  man  whose  house  is  built 
upon  the  sand.  Everything  that  can  be  shaken, 
will  be  shaken,  and  only  those  things  that  cannot 
be  shaken  will  remain. 

"Watchman,  what  of  the  night?"  and  again  the 
answer  comes : 

"Wars  and  rumors  of  wars,  plagues  and  pesti- 
lence, blood  and  fire  and  vapor  of  smoke."  The 
storm  is  raging,  but  the  children  of  the  Lord  arcj 
preparing  for  the  coming  of  their  Redeemer. 

Upward,  ever  upward,  turns  the  searchlight  of 
the  child  of  God,  searching,  ever  searching.  In 
each  new  cloud  that  brings  sorrow  to  the  sinner, 
he  sees  another  sign  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord, 
for  has  he  not  said:  "When  ye  shall  see  these 
things  come  to  pass,  rejoice,  for  the  coming  of  the 
Master  draweth  nigh"? 

376 


THE  TWO  HOUSES 

The  rain  is  falling — falling  upon  the  just  and 
the  unjust.  The  rain  increases  to  a  downpour. 
Unto  the  man  whose  house  is  built  upon 
THE  RAIN  the  sand  the  rain  brings  terror  and 
is  FALLING  destruction,  and  the  beginning  of  the 
wrath  of  God;  but  to  the  man  whose 
house  stands  on  the  rock,  it  brings  floods  of  bless- 
ing. It  is  to  him  the  Latter  Rain  falling  on  the 
earth,  and  "his  heart  is  filled  with  song,  and 
praise  and  mirth." 

The  clouds  of  darkness  that  are  gathering  over 
the  sinner  are  bright  clouds  to  the  saint.  He  is 
looking  for  Jesus  to  come  in  the  clouds,  and  fully 
expects  to  be  caught  up  in  the  clouds  to  meet  Him. 

The  lightning  of  God's  wrath  which  brings 
sure  and  certain  destruction  to  the  sinner,  brings 
power  and  glory  to  the  child  of  God.  God  sitteth 
on  His  throne.  Out  of  the  east  proceedeth  forth 
thunder  and  lightning.  The  sinner  quails  beneath 
this  power,  but  the  man  whose  house  is  built  upon 
the  rock  sings  aloud: 

"O  Lord,  send  the  power  just  now, 
And  fill  us,  every  one." 

And  through  all  the  storm  the  child  of  God  is  in 
his  watch-tower  of  prayer  and  vigilance,  his  search- 
light ever  gazing  above: 

"He  is  looking  for  Jesus  from  glory  to  come, 

That  Jesus  who  died  on  the  tree, 
A  cloud  of  bright  angels  to  carry  him  home, 

To  that  glorious  eternity." 

He  seeks  to  warn  the  man  who  has  long  been 
building  upon  the  sand,  but  the  latter  refuses  to 
take  warning.  Ah,  if  he  could  but  see  already  the 
great  billows  that  are  sweeping  over  this  earth 
today,  lashing  at  the  stones  of  his  shaky  founda- 
tion, causing  even  kingdoms  and  thrones  to  totter 
and  fall ! 

377 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Each  sinner,  both  small  and  great — each  soul 
who  has  rejected  God,  and  failed  to  build  upon  the 
solid  rock?  Christ  Jesus —  shall  surely  fall  in  igno- 
minious shame  and  death,  and  the  place  wherein 
he  stood  shall  know  him  no  more,  but  throughout 
the  endless  ages  of  eternity  he  will  mourn  his  dis- 
astrous folly  in  neglecting  to  build  upon  the  solid 
rock:  "For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain 
the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul?" 

HOUSE  ON  THE  ROCK  STANDS  ETERNALLY  SECURE. 

and  though  winds  may  blow  and  the  storm  may 
beat  upon  that  house,  it  will  not  fall,  for  it  was 
founded  upon  a  rock: 

"All  they  that  put  their  trust  in  God 

Can  never  be  removed, 
They  stand  secure  like  Zion's  mount, 

By  many  ages  proved. 

Though  fierce  the  storm  in  fury  beat. 

And  awful  thunders  roar, 
The  children  of  the  Mighty  God 

Are  safe  forevermore." 

While  the  sinner's  house  sinks  down  to  the  IOAV- 
est  pits  of  hell,  the  house  of  righteousness,  found- 
ed upon  the  rock,  will  stand  eternally  in  the 
Heavens,  in  that  land  where  storms  never  come 
and  tears  never  flow. 


378 


CONCERNING 
THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 


LOST  AND  RESTORED. 

AS   I  SAW   IT  IN   MY   VISION. 

THE  following  message  was  given  under  the 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  London,; 
England.    The  text,  which  was  given  by  the 
Spirit  was  as  follows : 
LOST — 

"That  which  the  Palmerworm  hath  left  hath 
the  Locust  eaten;  and  that  which  the  Locust  hath 
left  hath  the  Canker-worm  eaten;  and  that  which  the 
Cankerworm  hath  left  hath  the  Caterpillar  eaten." 
Joel  1 :4. 

AND  RESTORED. 

"And  I  will  restore  to  you  all  the  years  that  the 
locust  hath  eaten,  the  carikerworm,  the  caterpillar, 
and  the  palmerworm,  My  great  army  which  I  sent 
among  you."  Joel  2 :25. 

While  in  London,  England,  waiting  for  the  boat 
in  which  to  embark  for  China,  I  was  asked  by  a 
certain  preacher  one  day  if  I  would  not  speak 
to  his  congregation  that  night.  Inquiring  of  the 
Lord,  I  felt  it  was  His  will,  and  told  the  man 
that  I  would  go.  That  evening  a  beautiful  limou- 
sine, with  liveried  attendants,  called  for  me,  and 
I  entered  with  weak  and  self-conscious  steps,  cry- 
ing: "Oh,  Lord,  do  help  me  do  Thy  will  tonight." 
On  the  way  I  gazed  upon  the  beautiful  streets  and 
buildings,  till  at  last  the  car  stopped  in  front  of 
an  imposing  and  spacious  edifice. 

As  we  went  up  the  steps  and  into  the  side  door 
of  this  immense  building,  I  remember  taking  a 
hurried  glance  at  its  size  and  vaguely  wondering 
whether  some  small  room  therein  was  used  for  a 
mission.  Great  was  my  surprise  therefore,  when 
being  led  through  the  door  and  on  the  platform, 

380 


OF   THE 


AS  I  SAW  IT  IN  MY  VISION 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

I  found  that  this  whole  building  was  packed  with 
people,  and  I  was  to  speak  to  them  at  once.  My 
attendant  whispered  into  my  ear  that  we  were  late, 
and  then  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  man  on  the  plat- 
form saying:  "Now  our  sister  will  speak  to  us 
and  bring  the  message." 

Before  I  realized  it,  I  was  standing,  dazed  and 
confused  before  the  largest  audience  I  had  ever 
spoken  to.  The  gallery,  the  balcony,  the  pit  and 
the  rostrum  were  all  filled;  and  to  add  to  my  con- 
fusion, just  then  the  footlights  flashed  into  bril- 
liancy all  around  me?  and  there  I  stood,  a  slip  of 
a  girl,  with  my  Bible  in  my  trembling  hands.  I 
had  prepared  no  sermon,  trusting  God  to  speak 
through  me  at  the  moment.  But  not  a  thought 
came  to  me.  Lifting  my  heart  to  God  in  silent 
prayer,  I  said: 

"O  God,  if  you  ever  helped  me  in  my  life,  help 
me  now!" 

Just  then  something  happened — The  power  of 
God  went  surging  through  my  body,  waves  of 
glory  and  praise  swept  through  my  soul,  until  I 
forgot  the  throng  of  eager  faces  that  had,  a 
moment  before,  seemed  to  swim  before  me,  forgot 
the  footlights,  and  the  learned  men  with  their 
long-tail  coats,  forgot  that  I  was  only  a  child  of 
eighteen,  and  that  many  there  with  their  gray  hair 
knew  more  in  a  moment  than  I  in  the  natural 
course  would  know  in  a  lifetime,  and  "I  was  in  the 
Spirit." 

All  this  takes  a  long  time  to  write,  but  it  hap- 
pened in  a  moment,  for  those  Avho  put  their  trust 
in  God  shall  never  be  put  to  shame.  My  mouth 
opened;  the  Lord  took  control  of  my  tongue,  my 
lips  and  vocal  organs,  and  began  to  speak  through 
me,  not  in  tongues,  but  in  English.  The  Spirit 
spoke  in  prophecy,  and  as  He  spoke,  I  did  not 
know  what  the  next  word  was  to  be;  certainly  the 
water  did  flow,  not  from  my  head  but  from  the 

381 


THIS  IS  THAT 

innermost  depths  of  my  being,  without  my  having 
aught  to  do  with  it. 

As  I  spoke  thus  for  one  hour  and  a  quarter, 
there  did  not  seem  to  be  a  stir  in  all  that  vast 
audience,  and  as  I  spoke  I  saw  a  vision  of  a  great 
circle,  composed  of  ten  smaller  circles,  as  shown 
in  the  preceding  picture.  This  big  circle  seemed 
so  big  that  its  top  reached  the  sky ;  it  was  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  Holy  Spirit,  from  its  opening  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost  to  its  closing  at  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  Jesus.  The  vision  was  so  indelibly 
stamped  upon  my  mind  that  I  have  had  my  hus- 
band draw  it  from  my  description  that  all  may  see 
it  as  simple  and  plain  as  the  Lord  showed  it  to  me. 
Before  starting  to  speak,  I  opened  my  Bible  with 
closed  eyes,  trusting  God  for  my  text,  and  my 
finger  was  guided  to  a  certain  verse;  when  I  opened 
my  eyes  and  read  it  this  was  the  verse  the  Lord 
had  given  me: 

"That  which  the  palmerworm  hath  left  hath  the 
locust  eaten;  and  that  which  the  locust  hath  left 
hath  the  cankerworm  eaten;  and  that  which  the 
cankerworm  hath  left  hath  the  caterpillar  eaten." 
Joel  1 :4. 

Just  so  when  I  came  to  the  bottom  of  the  circle, 
and  the  dark  ages  were  pictured  in  their  horror, 
my  hand  automatically  turned  the  page  over  to 
the  second  chapter  and  placed  my  finger  upon  the 
following  verse: 

"I  will  restore  to  you  the  years  that  the  locust 
hath  eaten,  and  the  cankerworm,  and  the  cater- 
pillar^ and  the  palmerwvrm,  My  great  army  which 
I  sent  among  you."  Joel  2 :25. 

I  have,  in  the  following  pages,  written  the  mes- 
sage as  it  was  given.  It  is  He,  not  I,  who  is 
worthy  of  praise  forever. 


382 


THE  THREE  DISPENSATIONS. 

JUST  as  there  are  three  in  the  Godhead :  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  so  there  have  been  three 
separate  and  distinct  dispensations  or  periods 
of  time. 

First  came  the  dispensation  of  the  Father,  as 
recorded  in  God's  Word  throughout  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, from  Genesis  to  Malachi.  Throughout 
the  dispensation  of  the  Father,  He  promised  that 
at  the  close  of  this  dispensation  He  would  bestow 
a  great  gift,  even  Jesus,  His  only  begotten  Son, 
upon  this  earth,  as  our  Redeemer  and  the  propiti- 
ation for  our  sins.  At  the  close  of  that  period  of 
time  God  the  Father  kept  His  word,  and  true  to 
His  promise,  gave  Jesus,  as  His  great  Love  Gift  to 
the  sinner. 

Secondly  came  the  dispensation  of  the  Son,  as 
recorded  in  the  four  Gospels,  Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke  and  John.  Now,  just  as  the  Father  had  a 
gift  to  bestow  upon  the  world,  even  as  Jesus,  who 
is  our  salvation,  tells  us  over  and  over  again  that 
He  longs  to  bestOAv  a  gift  upon  all  those  who  be- 
lieve on  Him,  even  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  All 
throughout  His  ministry  upon  this  earth,  with  ever 
increasing  emphasis,  Jesus  depicted  to  His  fol- 
lowers the  importance  of  their  receiving  this  gift 
which  He  was  to  bestow  upon  them  when  He  went 
away. 

Jesus  seemed,  to  a  certain  degree,  to  be  limited 
in  the  scope  of  His  ministry,  was  sent  only  to 
the  lost  sheep  of  the  House  of  Israel,  was  able  to 
be  in  only  one  place  at  a  time,  etc.,  and  declared 
in  John  16  :7 :  "It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go 
away,  for  if  I  go  not  away  the  Comforter  will  not 
come  unto  yon;  Imt  if  I  depart  I  will  send  Him 
unto  you."  Plainly  Jesus  thought  it  more  impor- 
tant for  us  to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  than  for 
Himself  to  stay  upon  this  earth.  Thus,  just  as 

383 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  Father  kept  His  promise  and  sent  Jesus,  His 
love  gift  to  the  sinner,  so  now  in  turn  Jesus  kept 
His  word  and  prayed  the  Father  to  send  the  Holy 
Spirit,  His  gift  to  the  believer. 

Thirdly  came  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  opened  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost. 
(Acts  2.)  This  dispensation  we  are  still  living 
in  and  will  be  living  in  until  Jesus  comes  for  His 
waiting  Bride. 

The  days  of  Jesus'  tender  ministry  upon  earth 
were  over.  He  had  eaten  the  last  supper.  He 
had  been  tried  in  the  sinner's  stead  and  had  died 
in  the  sinner's  place.  He  had  been  laid  in  the 
lonely  tomb,  resurrected  in  power  and  triumph, 
had  walked  forty  days  upon  earth  after  His  resur- 
rection. He  had  promised  for  the  last  time  that 
He  would  not  leave  His  little  ones  comfortless, 
but  that  He  would  pray  the  Father  that  He  would 
send  another  Comforter,  even  the  Holy  Spirit, 
who  when  He  was  come  would  in  His  office  work 

take  of  the  things  of  Jesus  and  reveal  it 

unto  them   (John  16:13); 

lead  them  into  all  truth  (John  16:13)  ; 

not  speak  of  Himself  but  of  Jesus  (v.  13)  ; 

show  them  things  to  come  (-13)  ; 

glorify  Jesus   (-14)  ; 

reprove   of  sin,   of  righteousness   and   of 
judgment  (-8) 

teach  them  all  things  (John  14:26) 

testify  of  Jesus  (John  15:26)  ; 

endue    them   with   power   from    on    high 

(Luke  24:49); 

pray  through  them  with  groanings  that  could  not 
be  uttered.  The  last  words  of  Jesus  before  His 
ascension,  before  the  clouds  received  Him  out  of 
their  sight,  as  recorded  in  Luke  24:49,  and  Acts 
1 :8,  were  concerning  the  importance  of  tarrying 
for  and  receiving  the  Comforter  whom  He  would 
send. 

384 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 
TARRYING    FOR    THE    COMING    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

With  glowing  hearts,  and  the  Master's  com- 
mand, "Tarry  until  ye  be  endued  with  poiver  from 
on  high"  still  ringing  in  their  ears,  the  little  flock 
of  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  wended  their  way 
to  the  "upper  room"  in  Jerusalem,  to  await  there 
the  advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  opening  of  this 
great,  new  dispensation  of  the  Spirit  sent  from 
Heaven.  For  ten  days  they  waited.  They  "con- 
tinued with  one  accord  in  one  place  in  prayer  and 
supplication.''  One  accord,  O  what  unbroken  har- 
mony is  depicted  in  these  simple  words!  Thomas 
was  not  saying  to  Peter : 

"Peter,  what  are  you  doing  here.  You  denied 
the  Lord  thrice,  you  cursed  and  swore;  the  Lord 
will  never  baptize  you  with  the  Spirit."  Peter 
was  not  saying  to  Thomas : 

"Well,  Thomas,  what  are  you  doing  here?  You 
always  were  an  old  doubter  anyway;  don't  think 
you  will  receive  anything  from  the  Lord."  Ah, 
no!  they  were  with  one  accord  in  one  place  in 
prayer  and  supplication. 

THE   COMING   OF  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT. 

(Acts   2:4.) 

"And  when  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come 
they  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place.  And 
suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from  Heaven"  (and 
bless  God,  there  has  been  a  sound  ever  since  when 
the  Spirit  falls  and  comes  in).  "From  Heaven" 
(Yes,  thank  God,  in  spite  of  what  man  may  say, 
undoubtedly  this  sound  is  from  Heaven).  "Like 
as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the 
house  where  they  were  sitting.  And  there  ap- 
peared unto  them  cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire, 
and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them.  And  they  were  all 
filled  icith  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak 
with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance." 

385 


THIS  IS  THAT 

I  have  often  tried  to  picture  the  sudden  con- 
sternation and  excitement  which  surged  through 
the  streets  of  Jerusalem  when  the  hundred  and 
twenty  men  and  women  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  burst  out  shouting  and  talking  in 
other  tongues,  so  filled  that  they  acted  like  drunk- 
en people  (Acts  2:13).  I  can  seem  to  see  the 
crowds  running  up  this  street,  and  that,  windows 
flying  open,  heads  thrust  out,  doors  opening, 
everybody  running,  devout  men  gathering  up  their 
long  ministerial  robes  and  forgetting  their  dig- 
nity, running  with  the  rest  to  swell  the  one 
great  question : 

WHAT  MEANETH   THIS? 

"And  when  this  ivas  noised  abroad  the  multi- 
tude came  together,"  (Beloved,  if  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  falling  in  your  midst  you  will  not  need  oyster 
suppers  or  box  socials  or  Xmas  trees  to  bring  the 
multitude,  your  only  trouble  will  be  to  find  seats 
for  the  people)  "and  were  confounded,"  just  as 
you  have  been,  perhaps,  "because  that  every  man 
heard  them  speak  in  his  own  language."  They  wrere 
amazed,  they  marvelled,  they  were  in  doubt.  Sober- 
minded  folk  asked  the  question : 

"What  meaneth  this?"    Mockers  declared: 

"These  men  are  full  of  new  wine"  O,  what  an 
uproar !  What  an  excitement !  you  dear  people  who 
dislike  confusion,  and  demand  things  to  be  done 
"decently  and  in  order"  would  have  been  scan- 
dalized. 

"But  Peter"  a  new  Peter,  no  longer  afraid  of 
the  opinions  of  people,  "standing  up,"  (the  Holy 
Spirit,  when  He  endues  you  with  power,  puts  a 
real  stand  up  for  Jesus  spirit  within  you,  and 
takes  the  cowardice  out)  "said:  these  are  not 
drunken,  as  ye  suppose,  but  this  is  that  which  was 
spoken  by  the  prophet  Joel.  And  it  shall  come 
to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  that  I  will 
pour  out  of  My  Spirit  upon  all  flesh."  Then  as 

386 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

Peter  preached  that  mighty  sermon  under  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  among  other  things  he 
told  his  vast  audience  to 

"Repent  and  be  baptized,  every  one — in  the 
Name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins" 
and  that  they,  too,  would  "receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit"  Furthermore,  just  as  though  he 
looked  away  ahead  through  the  coming  years,  and 
saw  the  doubts  in  some  of  your  minds,  Peter  de- 
clared that  "the  promise  is"  not  only  "unto  you" 
but  "unto  your  children  and  unto  them  that  are 
afar  off"  that  means  you,  brother,  sister,  for  he 
goes  on  to  say,  "even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call."  Now,  if  God  has  called  you,  the  prom- 
ise is  unto  you.  How  glad  I  am  that  the  Spirit, 
through  Peter,  drove  these  nails  and  clinched  them 
on  the  other  side  till  there  is  not  the  shadow  of  a 
loophole  for  you  to  thrust  the  wedge  of  doubt 
into. 

CIRCLE  I. 

THE     USHERING    IN    OF    THE    DISPENSATION    OF    THE 

HOLY  SPIRIT  ACCOMPANIED  BY  MIGHTY 

SIGNS  AND   WONDERS. 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost  some  three  thousand 
souls  were  saved.  Then  we  see  Peter  and  John, 
going  up  to  the  temple  to  pray,  pass  a  lame  man 
at  the  beautiful  gate,  who  asks  alms  of  them. 
Peter  ansAvers : 

"Silver  and  gold  have  I  none"  (I  do  not  think 
the  Pentecostal  people  ever  were  or  ever  will  bo 
overly  blessed  with  silver  or  gold)  "but  such  as  1 
have  I  give  unto  thee;  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  Christ 
rise  up  and  walk."  The  lame  man  was  healed  in- 
stantaneously, and  whether  the  priests  in  the 
Temple  believed  in  manifestations  or  not  I  Itnow 
not,  but  at  any  rate  the  man  went  into  that 
Temple  walking,  leaping  and  praising  God. 

In  Acts  5:16  we  see  the  multitudes  out  of  the 
cities  round  about  Jerusalem  bringing  sick  folks 

387 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  those  that  were  vexed  with  unclean  spirits, 
and  they  were  healed  every  one.  Sick  were 
brought  forth  into  the  streets  and  laid  on  beds 
and  couches  that  at  least  the  shadow  of  Peter 
passing  by  might  overshadow  some  of  them.  Signs 
and  wonders  were  wrought  everywhere  by  the 
hands  of  the  Apostles,  true  to  the  word  of  Him 
Avho  had  said: 

"Greater  works  than  these  shall  ye  do  because  ] 
go  to  My  Father." 

While  the  tree  seen  in  Circle  One  stood  in  its 
perfection,  the  Church  stood  blazing  with  the  full 
Pentecostal  Power  and  Glory  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Jesus'  words  were  fulfilled,  and  in  deed  and  in 
truth  they  were  endued  with  power  from  on  high. 
Timid  Peter,  who  had  once  feared  a  little  girl  who 
asked  him  if  he  knew  Jesus,  was  timid  no  longer. 
Illiterate  men  and  women  were  turned  into  flam- 
ing evangels. 

The  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  unto 
the  Jews  alone,  but  also  unto  the  Gentiles.  In 
Acts  10  we  see  Peter  answering  the  voice  of  the 
Lord,  who  spoke  to  him  through  a  vision,  going 
down  to  preach  Jesus  unto  the  Gentiles.  "While 
Peter  yet  spake — the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them 
which  heard  the  Word;"  the  Jews  who  came  witb 
Peter  were  astonished  that  on  the  Gentiles  also 
was  poured  out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  "for 
they  heard  them  speak  with  tongues  and  magnify 
God." 

Again  in  these  wonderful  days  of  the  former 
rain  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  see  Saul, 
on  his  way  to  Damascus  to  persecute  the  Chris- 
tians, slain  and  prostrated  in  the  road  by  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  hearing  the  voice  of  Jesus 
saying : 

"Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  Me?"  Later 
we  find  Paul  not  only  converted  and  baptized  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  with  the  Bible  evidence  of  speak- 

388 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

ing  with  other  tongues  (I  Cor.  4:18),  but  him- 
self preaching  salvation  and  the  Baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  In  Acts  19,  Paul,  finding  certain  dis- 
ciples at  Ephesus,  asks  them  \vhether  they  have 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  they  believed.  They 
tell  him  "No."  They  have  not  even  heard  whether 
there  was  any  Holy  Ghost.  "And  when  Paul  had 
laid  his  hands  upon  them  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on 
them  and  they  spake  in  tongues"  and  magnified 
God.  This  marvelous  manifestation  of  speaking  in 
other  tongues  accompanied  the  infilling  of  believ- 
ers with  the  Holy  Spirit  everywhere.  Simon  of- 
fered money  for  the  power  to  bestow  that  which 
he  saw  and  heard. 

THE  TREE  WITH  ITS  PERFECT  FRUIT. 

Every  gift  and  fruit  of  the  Spirit  was  manifest- 
ed in  the  Church  till  the  nine  gifts  and  the  nine 
fruits  of  the  Spirit  hung  as  eighteen  perfect  apples 
upon  the  perfect  tree.  "For  to  one  was  given  by 
the  Spirit  the  Word  of  Wisdom,  to  another  the 
Word  of  Knowledge,  by  the  same  Spirit,  to  an- 
other Faith,  by  the  same  Spirit,  to  another  the  gift 
of  Healing,  by  the  same  Spirit,  to  another  the 
working  of  Miracles,  to  another  Prophecy,  to  an- 
other Discerning  of  Spirits,  to  another  divers  kinds 
of  Tongues,  to  another  Interpretation  of  Tongues/' 
The  sick  were  healed,  miracles  wrought,  and  when 
messages  were  given  in  other  tongues  in  the  as- 
sembly, some  one  gave  the  interpretation.  (I  Cor., 
14:37.)  Each  of  the  nine  fruits  were  in  the 
Church — Love,  Joy,  Peace,  Gentleness,  Goodness, 
Faith,  Meekness,  Temperance,  Longsuffering,  thus 
we  have  the  perfect  picture  visualized  in  "Circle 
I"  of  the  Chart. 

Thus  ends  the  first  chapter  of  the  early  Church 
History,  leaving  the  tree  rooted  and  grounded  in 
the  faith  of  Jesus,  every  limb,  branch,  leaf  and 
fruit  in  perfect  power  and  strength. 

389 


THIS  IS  THAT 

CIRCLE   II. 

THE  PALMER  WORM  AT  WORK. 

O  glorious  days  of  harmonious  love  and  unity, 
days  when  none  called  aught  that  he  had  his  own, 
days  when  the  children  of  the  Lord  had  all  things 
in  common,  days  when  prison  bonds  were  broken, 
signs  and  wonders  Avere  wrought,  how  we  have 
often  wished  they  might  have  continued! 

These  puny  minds  of  ours  only  feebly  grasp 
events  of  the  past,  and  are  utterly  unable  to  probe 
the  depths  of  mystery  shrouding  the  future.  Un- 
like us,  however,  the  great  mind  and  eye  of  the 
Almighty  God  beholds  the  future  as  clearly  as  the 
past.  Before  His  burning  eyes  of  Fire,  and  the 
Glory  of  His  presence,  darkness  turns  to  day,  and 
the  deepest  mists  are  rolled  away.  Looking  thus 
ahead  with  clear,  unerring  eye,  God  saw,  and 
moreover  prophesied  through  the  prophet  Joel, 
that  the  Church  would  not  always  retain  this 
glorious  state  of  Power,  saw  that  the  palmerworm, 
the  locust,  the  cankerworm  and  the  caterpillar 
were  going  to  rob  and  strip  and  mutilate  and  de- 
stroy this  perfect  tree  with  its  gifts  and  fruits.  He 
saw  that  the  Church,  or  tree,  was  going  to  lose 
gradually  more  and  more,  till  it  would  be  left 
desolate,  barren  and  despairing.  The  falling  away 
and  destruction  of  the  perfect  tree  did  not  occur 
in  one  day.  It  was  a  gradual  deterioration  ac- 
complished day  by  day  and  stage  by  stage. 

One  day  the  palmerworm  appeared,  eating  and 
destroying  as  it  went,  until  as  the  years  went  by 
the  gifts  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit  began  to  disap- 
pear from  view.  Not  so  many  sick  were  healed  as 
of  yore,  not  so  many  miracles  were  performed, 
faith  was  on  the  wane,  when  some  one  in  the  as- 
sembly had  a  message  in  tongues  there  was  no  one 
who  had  the  gift  of  interpretation,  messages  in 
prophecy  were  not  so  frequent  as  of  yore.  The 
fruits  of  unselfish  love  and  joy  and  peace  were 

390 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

also  attacked  by  the  palmerworm,  who  grew  bolder 
and  bolder  day  by  day.  Gradually  the  eighteen 
apples  began  to  disappear  from  the  staunch  and 
upright  tree  which  had  stood  so  gloriously  heavy 
laden  for  many  years  after  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
This  state  of  fruitlessness  was  indeed  a  condi- 
tion worthy  of  lamentation,  but  the  pity  of  it  all 
is  that  the  devastation  did  not  stop  with  the  havoc 
wrought  by  the  palmerworm.  Other  years,  and 
other  worms  took  up  the  work  of  destruction 
where  the  palmerworm  had  left  off,  and  "that 
which  the  palmerworm  hath  left  hath  the  locust 
eaten." 

CIRCLE  III. 

THE  LOCUST  AT  WORK. 

The  work  of  the  locust  is,  of  course,  wrought 
upon  the  leaves.  Sweeping  over  vast  territories 
of  country  he  strips  and  lays  barren  all  that  he 
touches.  Thus  not  only  were  the  gifts  and  fruits 
of  the  Spirit  lost  sight  of  by  the  vast  majority  of 
believers,  but  the  personal  incoming  and  indwell- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit,  accompanied  by  speaking 
in  other  tongues,  was  also  in  a  great  measure  lost 
sight  of.  The  oldtime  seeker's  meetings,  the  earn- 
est prayer  and  praise  meetings  were  disappearing; 
formality  and  sectarianism  were  taking  their 
places. 

As  humility,  godliness,  and  the  manifestations 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  vanished  persecution  and  re- 
proach vanished  also.  As  meetings  of  the  older 
order  were  converted  into  dignified  services  of  a 
more  orthodox  form,  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  a  gentle 
dove,  was  quenched  and  grieved  and  stifled  till  He 
silently  withdrew  His  wonder-working  manifesta- 
tions, and  joy  and  gladness  were  withheld  from 
the  sons  of  men. 

Because  it  meant  too  great  a  sacrifice,  too  much 
emptying  out  and  humbling  in  the  dust  before 
God,  too  much  seeking  and  waiting,  the  Baptism 

391 


THIS  IS  THAT 

of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  received  as  of  old. 
Then  came  men  who  professed  to  have  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  a  new  way,  i.  e.,  without  the  Bible  seal 
or  evidence  of  speaking  with  other  tongues  as  the 
Spirit  gives  utterance.  This  simplified  matters 
greatly,  and  the  professor  no  longer  needed  to  be 
a  possessor.  Thus  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  lost  sight  of  by  many,  though  there  always 
was  a  remnant  of  a  faithful  few  Spirit-filled  saints 
through  whom  God  manifested  Himself  in  a  real 
and  supernatural  way. 

It  was  a  sad  day  when  the  leaves  were  thus 
stripped  from  the  tree,  and  the  locust  had  done 
its  work,  but  days  that  were  still  more  sad  were 
to  follow,  for  we  read  "that  which  the  locust  hath 
left  hath  the  cankerworm  eaten." 

CIRCLE   IV. 

THE  WORK  OF  THE  CANKERWOBM. 

After  the  fruit  and  the  leaves  had  been  de- 
stroyed, the  cankerworm  immediately  made  his 
appearance  and  began  his  work  upon  the  branches 
and  tender  shoots  of  the  tree,  making  cankerous 
and  unsound  that  God-fearing  walk  of  Holiness 
above  the  world  and  sin,  so  long  enjoyed  by  the 
children  of  the  Lord.  As  the  sap,  the  life  of  the 
tree,  was  consumed  and  the  branches  became  more 
and  more  cankerous,  and  unsound  things  that 
used  to  seem  sinful  appeared  sinful  no  longer,  the 
world  that  used  to  be  barred  outside  the  doors  of 
the  Church  now  leaned  back  in  contented  languor 
in  the  cushioned  pews,  or  sang  in  the  choir. 

Christians  let  down  more  and  more  the  high 
standard  of  Holiness  unto  the  Lord,  which  they 
had  been  holding  aloft,  and  now  it  trailed  bedrag- 
gled and  unnoticed  in  the  dust.  Quickly  upon  the 
trail  of  the  cankerworm  followed  the  caterpillar, 
and  we  read  that  "that  which  the  cankerworm  hath 
left  hath  the  caterpillar  eaten." 

392 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

CIRCLE    V. 

THE    WORK    OF    THE    CATERPILLAR. 

We  are  now  nearing  the  bottom  of  the  large 
circle.  The  perfect  tree  is  perfect  no  longer, 
stripped  of  her  fruits,  denuded  of  her  leaves,  her 
branches  made  white,  laid  clean  bare,  it  was  not 
long  till  the  trunk  and  the  roots  began  to  decay 
and  the  caterpillar  made  his  nest  in  the  decayed 
and  rotted  hollows  of  the  tree. 

No  tree  can  eke  out  its  existence  long  without 
leaves  through  which  to  breathe,  and  branches 
and  limbs  through  which  the  sap  of  life  courses 
through  its  veins.  For  a  believer  to  live  without 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  breath  of  life,  or  the  Holy  life 
of  Jesus  as  revealed  by  the  Spirit,  coursing 
through  his  veins,  is  to  eke  out  a  meager,  barren 
existence  nowhere  recorded  in  the  Word  of  God. 
And  now,  in  circle  five,  we  see  the  tree  in  the 
most  lamentable  condition  yet  described,  fruit 
gone,  leaves  gone,  branches  bare,  trunk  decayed 
and  rotten,  a  nest  for  the  caterpillar.  In  other 
words,  the  gifts  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit  gone,  the 
Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  gone,  separation  and 
Holiness  gone,  justification  by  Faith  gone.  Well 
might  the  Angels  lean  over  the  battlements  of 
Heaven  and  weep ;  of  the  noble  Church,  the  perfect 
tree,  which  had  once  stood  clad  with  the  Power 
and  Glory  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  there  remained  now 
naught  but  a  -name,  not  even  a  remnant  of  its  for- 
mer splendor,  as  she  entered  into  the  DARK  AGES. 

CIRCLE  VI. 

THE  DARK   AGES. 

No  wonder  they  are  called  the  dark  ages.  Ah! 
dark  indeed  is  the  night  without  Jesus.  He  is  the 
Light  of  the  world,  and  when  the  Church  lost  sight 
of  justification  by  Faith,  lost  sight  of  the  atone- 
ment, the  blood  of  Jesus,  there  was  a  total  eclipse 
and  the  face  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  was  ob- 

393 


THIS  IS  THAT 

scured,   and   the   succeeding   years    that   followed 
are  known  as  the  dark  ages. 

Men  and  Women  groping  in  this  gross  darkness 
tried  to  win  their  way  to  Heaven  by  doing  pen- 
ance, by  locking  themselves  up  in  dungeons,  walk- 
ing over  red  hot  plowshares  in  their  bare  feet,  and 
by  inflicting  unnameable  tortures  upon  themselves 
and  upon  one  another,  blindly  trying  by  some  work 
or  deed  of  theirs  to  pay  the  debt  that  had  already 
been  paid  on  Calvary's  rugged  cross.     They  had 
lost  sight  utterly  of  the  fact  that 
"Jesus  paid  it  all, 
All  to  Him  we  owe; 
Sin  had  left  a  crimson  stain, 
He  washed  it  white  as  snow." 

The  great  arroAV  you  see  in  the  chart  had  been 
steadily  going  down  and  down,  pitilessly  and  re- 
lentlessly going  down,  as  I  saw  it  in  the  vi.sion, 
till  it  seemed  as  though  it  would  never  reach  the 
bottom.  And  now  it  had  struck  the  bottom,  the 
church  had  lost  all,  the  tree  was  dead. 

Angels  might  have  wept,  mortals  might  have 
wrung  their  hands,  and  their  souls  have  failed 
within  them  in  utter  despair,  but  GOD,  Hallelujah, 
looking  on  ahead  into  the  future  still,  had  spoken 
through  the  prophet  Joel  (Joel  2:25),  saying: 

"I  will  restore  to  you  the  years  that  the  locust 
hath  eaten,  the  cankerworm,  the  caterpillar,  and 
the  palmerworm,  My  great  army  -which  I  sent 
among  you/'  O  beloved,  do  you  see  it?  Then 
shout  aloud  and  praise  Him.  Why  that  was  aU, 
ALL,,  think  of  it,  All  that  had  been  lost  was  to  be 
restored.  Hallelujah!  What  is  impossible  with 
man  is  possible  with  God. 

Now  the  Church  had  not  lost  this  "all"  at  one 
time.  The  restoration  came  as  "meat  in  due  sea- 
son'3 as  line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept,  here 
a  little  and  there  a  little,  till  today  we  are  nearing 
the  completion  of  this  Restoration,  and  Jesus  is 

394 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

coming  soon  to  take  His  perfect  Church,  His 
Bride,  His  fruit-laden  tree,  unto  Himself,  where, 
transplanted  from  earth  to  Heaven,  the  tree  will 
bloom  and  yield  her  fruit  by  the  great  River  of 
Life,  forever. 

No,  God  did  not  restore  to  the  Church  all  at 
once  what  she  had  lost.  He  was  willing  to  do  so 
to  be  sure,  but  they  did  not  have  the  light  at  that 
time.  Therefore  the  last  thing  that  had  been  lost 
was  the  first  to  be  restored.  They  had  a  name 
that  they  did  live,  but  were  dead,  and  therefore 
must  needs  repent  and  do  their  first  works  over 
again  before  taking  any  higher  step. 

CIRCLE  VII. 

THE  YEARS  OF  THE  CATERPILLAR  RESTORED. 

Just  before  the  arrow  began  to  ascend,  and  the 
work  of  Restoration  began,  we  see  the  scene  of 
ruin  depicted  by  Joel  in  all  its  awfulness,  in  the 
first  chapter  of  Joel,  the  meat  offering  and  the 
drink  offering  cut  off,  the  field  wnsted,  the  corn 
wasted,  the  new  wine  dried  up,  garner  laid  deso- 
late, barns  broken  down,  the  beasts  groan,  the 
herds  of  cattle  are  perplexed,  the  sheep  are  made 
desolate,  the  rivers  of  water  are  dried  up,  and  the 
fire  has  devoured  the  pastures  of  the  wilderness. 
Then  one  day  amidst  all  this  desolation  God  began 
to  move,  the  treading  of  His  footsteps  was  heard, 
and  in  Circle  VII  we  see  the  roots  of  the  tree  again 
sinking  deep  into  the  earth,  and  Justification  by 
Faith  restored.  This  is  the  way  it  all  came  about : 

MARTIN    LUTHER. 

Martin  Luther  one  day  was  walking  up  the  steps 
of  the  cathedral  on  his  hands  and  knees  over 
broken  glass,  endeavoring  to  do  penance,  thereby 
seeking  to  atone  for  his  sins.  As  he  was  toiling 
painfully  and  laboriously  up  the  steps  in  this 
manner,  blood  trickling  from  his  hands  and  knees, 
cut  by  the  broken  glass,  he  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven  saying: 

395 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Martin  Luther,  the  Just  shall  live  by  Faith." 
At  the  words,  a  great  light  fell  from  Heaven. 
It  banished  the  darkness  and  doubts,  it  illuminated 
the  soul  of  Martin  Luther,  and  revealed  the 
finished  work  of  Calvary  and  the  blood  that 
alone  can  atone  for  sin. 

"For  nothing  good  have  I, 
Whereby  Thy  grace  to  claim, 
Fll  wash  my  garments  white 
In  the  blood  of  Calvary's  Lamb." 

The  days  that  followed  were  eventful  days, 
epoch-making  days,  fraught  with  self-sacrifice  and 
suffering.  The  Lord  had  spoken,  and  promised 
that  all  the  years  that  had  been  eaten  should  be 
restored,  and  out  of  the  seas  of  travail  and  suffer- 
ing that  followed  the  preaching  of  Justification  by 
Faith  there  was  born  a  little  body  of  blood- washed, 
fire-tried  pilgrims,  willing  to  suffer  persecution  for 
His  Name's  sake. 

You  have  read,  perhaps,  how  Martin  Luther  and 
his  folloAvers  were  turned  out  of  the  churches, 
spoken  against  falsely,  and  accused  of  all  manner 
of  evil.  As  Martin  Luther,  Calvin,  Knox,  Fletcher 
and  many  other  blessed  children  of  the  Lord,  stood 
firm  for  the  truths  of  salvation  and  a  sinless  life, 
they  suffered  all  manner  of  persecution.  God's 
Word  says,  "They  that  will  live  Godly  shall  suffer 
persecution."  (If  you  or  your  church  profess  to 
live  Godly  and  yet  never  suffer  persecution,  if  you 
have  become  popular  and  the  shame  and  reproach 
of  the  cross  is  gone,  there  is  something  radically 
wrong  somewhere,  for  those  who  live  Godly  still 
suffer  persecution.) 

As  the  noble  tree  again  put  down  her  roots  of 
justification  into  the  fertile  soil — faith,  as  life 
again  began  to  surge  through  the  trunk  and  the 
limbs  of  the  tree,  every  demon  in  Hell  seemed  to 
be  raging  and  howling  against  those  who  saw  and 

396 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

accepted  the  light  of  salvation.  Martyrs  were 
burned  at  the  stake,  stoned  to  death,  swung  from 
public  scaffolds,  suffered  the  tortures  of  the  in- 
quisition, their  eyes  were  put  out  with  hot  irons, 
they  were  beaten  till  great  gashes  were  cut  in  their 
backs,  salt  was  rubbed  into  the  wounds  and  they 
were  cast  into  the  dark  dungeons,  still  true  and 
unflinching  for  Jesus.  They  were  tortured  in 
unspeakable  ways,  beheaded,  sent  to  the  guillotine, 
the  covenanters  were  driven  from  hill  to  hill  and 
often  had  to  hide  themselves  in  caves  in  order  to 
pray  or  sing  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  hunted  and 
harassed  at  every  turn. 

But  God  had  said;  "I  will  restore  the  years  that 
have  been  eaten/'  and  in  spite  of  the  burning 
stake,  in  spite  of  the  blood  and  fire  and  the  deep 
waters  of  tribulation^  in  spite  of  the  raging  of  the 
demons  in  hell,  the  great  arrow  that  had  so  long 
been  going  down  had  at  last  started  upward  and 
was  never  to  stop  till  it  reached  the  top  and  the 
tree  was  again  restored  to  its  perfection. 

Persecutions  cannot  stop  God.  Floods  cannot 
stay  His  step.  Fire  cannot  delay  His  progress. 
So  line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept,  here  a 
little  and  there  a  little,  the  work  of  restoration 
has  been  going  on.  Not  only  did  the  Lord  restore 
the  years  the  caterpillar  had  eaten  but 

CIECLE  VIII. 

THE  YEARS  OF  THE  CANKEEWORM   ARE  RESTORED 

An  entire  consecration,  and  holiness  unto  the 
Lord  were  preached;  God  called  out  a  still  more 
separated  people,  with  a  deeper  realization  of  what 
it  meant  to  live  a  life  wholly  given  up  and  conse- 
crated to  the  Lord.  The  people  a  step  lower 
always  seem  to  fight  the  people  a  step  higher. 
Nevertheless  as  the  work  of  sifting  and  separation 
went  on,  God  led  His  people  forth  to  higher 
heights. 

397 


THIS  IS  THAT 

As  one  church  grew  cold,  lost  their  first  love, 
or  fought  higher  truths,  they  lost  out  spiritually. 
As  soon  as  one  creed  would  refuse  to  Avalk  in  the 
light,  as  given  by  the  Lord,  or  begin  to  organize 
and  set  up  man  rule,  the  Lord  simply  stepped  over 
their  walls  and  left  them  to  their  forms  and  cere- 
monies, and  took  with  Him  the  little  "called  out, 
out  of  a  called  out"  flock.  In  many  instances  the 
recording  angel  had  to  write  upon  the  door  of  the 
fashionable  churches: 

"Thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art 
dead,"  or  "You  have  a  form  of  godliness,  but  deny 
the  power  thereof."  But  the  work  was  not  stopped ; 
somewhere  people  were  praying,  somewhere  hungry 
hearts  were  meeting  in  little  cottage  prayer-meet- 
ings, or  on  the  street  corners,  and  the  tender 
shoots  and  branches  were  being  thrust  forth  on 
the  tree.  Consecration  and  holiness  were  being 
preached  and  the  years  of  the  canker  worm  being 
restored. 

JOHN   WESLEY 

Was  a  man  with  a  message.  He,  too,  suffered 
persecution.  Preaching  on  the  street-corners  in 
those  days,  faithful  followers  were  stoned,  and 
rotten-egged.  They  were  fought  but  not  defeated. 
The  power  of  God  was  manifested  in  the  dear  old 
Methodist  Church,  also  in  Charles  Finney's  meet- 
ings, in  a  wonderful  manner.  Men  and  women 
were  slain  under  the  power  of  God.  At  times  tho 
floors  were  strewn  with  the  slain  of  the  Lord. 
Signs  and  wonders  accompanied  those  who 
preached  the  "meat  in  due  season." 

While  these  churches  lived  godly,  prayerful, 
mighty  lives  in  Jesus,  they  suffered  persecution. 
But  when  they  too  began  to  drift  into  the  same 
cold,  formal  state  as  the  others  before  them,  the 
power  and  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  began  to 
lift  from  their  presence.  When  supper  rooms  take 
the  place  of  upper  rooms,  and  concerts  the  place 

398 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

of  prayer  meetings,  the  Spirit  is  grieved  away. 
As  each  body  began  to  organize  and  throw  up  walls 
of  difference,  God  simply  stepped  over  them  again 
and  called  out  another  separated  people,  willing 
to  suffer  and  sacrifice  for  Him. 

Then  came  the  day  when  William  Booth  was 
called  upon  to  decide  whether  he  would  compro- 
mise or  would  follow  the  greater  light  God  gave 
him.  As  he  hesitated  a  moment  his  wife  called 
from  the  balcony  of  that  thronged  church:  "Say 
No!  William." 

And  William  Booth  said  "NO,"  and  refused  to 
compromise,  went  forth  preaching  the  message — 
that  had  been  given  him.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
Salvation  Army  they  were  unpopular,  suffered 
persecution,  were  a  peculiar  people,  just  as  the 
others  before  mentioned  had  been  in  the  beginning. 
They  too  were  stoned  and  imprisoned.  Some  were 
even  martyred,  but  neither  the  devil  nor  his  angels 
could  stop  God  and  His  work  of  restoration.  In 
these  early  days  of  the  Army  it  was  nothing  un- 
common to  see  men  and  women  slain  under  the 
power  of  God.  Some  of  their  number  received 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  spake  with  other  tongues. 
All  night  prayer  meetings,  dancing  before  the 
Lord,  and  mighty  power  was  manifested  in  their 
midst.  True  to  prophecy,  while  they  lived  this 
separated,  holy  life,  they  were  persecuted  and 
unpopular  with  the  world.  Then  came  the  Holi- 
ness churches,  wonderfully  blessed  of  God,  and 
the  Lord  moved  in  their  midst  in  a  mighty  manner. 

These  dear  people,  many  of  them,  thought  that 
the  Lord  had  now  restored  all  He  was  going  to 
restore  to  the  Church,  and  believed  that  they  had 
all  the  Lord  had  for  them.  But  not  so!  God  had 
said, 

"I  will  restore  the  years  that  the  locust,  the 
cankerworm,  the  caterpillar  and  the  palmerworm 
hath  eaten/'  This  necessarily  meant  A-L-L.  Now 

399 


THIS  IS  THAT 

so  far,  only  the  years  eaten  by  the  caterpillar  and 
the  cankerworm  had  been  restored.  What  about 
the  years  eaten  by  the  locust  and  the  palmerAVorm? 
When  God  says  "ALL"  does  He  mean  all  or  only 
half?  Why,  He  means  all,  to  be  sure.  Therefore 
next 

CIRCLE  IX. 

THE  YEARS  OF  THE  LOCUST  ARE  RESTORED. 

Although  in  previous  years  several  saints  had  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Spirit  and  spoken  in  tongues  as  in 
Bible  years,  yet  upon  the  church  at  large  the  years 
which  the  locust  had  eaten  (in  Circle  III),  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  other  words,  had  not 
been  restored  in  any  great  measure.  Therefore 
this  was  the  next  to  be  restored.  Peter  in  quoting 
from  the  prophet  Joel  says: 

"In  the  last  days,  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon 
all  flesh."  Joel  says  that  He  who  gave  us  the 
"former  rain"  moderately,  will  cause  to  come  down 
for  us  the  rain,  both  the  former  and  the  "Latter 
Rain"  in  the  first  month. 

LATTER   RAIN. 

It  Avas  just  a  few  years  ago  that  this  latter  rain 
began  to  fall.  Perhaps  you  recollect  the  great 
Welch  Revival,  where,  under  the  preaching  of 
Evan  Roberts,  the  fire  fell.  Many  were  saved,  and 
baptized  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  those  who  received 
the  Comforter,  the  Holy  Spirit,  spoke  with  other 
tongues. 

Over  in  Mukti,  India,  a  missionary,  Pandita 
Ramabai,  was  praying  with  a  band  of  Hindoo 
girls.  They  had  spent  days  and  nights  in  prayer, 
when  suddenly  the  Spirit  was  poured  out  in  their 
midst,  as  He  had  been  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 
Visible  fire  is  said  to  have  been  seen  upon  one 
girl's  bed,  and  when  the  other  girls  went  for  water 
to  extinguish  the  fire  it  was  discovered  that  this 
was  the  fire  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  such  as  Moses  saw 
in  the  burning  bush  that  was  not  consumed.  These 

400 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

dear  Hindoo  girls  who  received  the  Holy  Spirit 
spake  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance,  when  they  received  the  Holy  Spirit. 
One  girl  spoke  in  the  English  language  (Avhich 
she  had  never  learned  )9  and  this  is  the  message 
which  was  spoken  through  her: 

"Jesus  is  coming  soon,  get  ready  to  meet  Him.'7 
And  the  great  revival  spread  on  and  on.  Almost 
simultaneously  the  Spirit  was  poured  out  in  our 
own  United  States  of  America,  in  England,  in 
Canada,  in  Africa,  upon  missionaries  in  China, 
and  in  the  islands  of  the  sea.  Never  was  such  a 
world-wide  revival  known  to  spread  so  quickly 
and  simultaneously.  The  Spirit  was  poured  out 
upon  praying  bands  in  numberless  places,  who  had 
never  heard  before  of  the  incoming  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  In  every  instance,  without  exception,  those 
who  received  the  Holy  Spirit  spake  in  other 
tongues,  exactly  as  those  who  had  received  in 
Bible  days  had  done.  The  latter  rain  was  falling 
on  the  earth. 

In  order  to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  one  had  to 
be  empty,  and  humble.  Poor  and  rich,  black  and 
white,  the  mistress  and  the  maid  alike  received  the 
Holy  Spirit  when  they  humbled  themselves,  and 
sought  with  all  their  hearts.  Those  who  received, 
praised  the  Lord  and  magnified  His  name,  as  no 
one  but  Spirit-filled  saints  can  do.  Waves  of  glory, 
floods  of  praise  swept  over  assemblies  who  had 
received  the  Holy  Spirit.  There  was  no  way  of 
stopping  this  great  revival,  it  seemed. 

LATTER    RAIN    TRUTHS    FOUGHT. 

Just  as  demons  and  men  had  fought  the  restora- 
tion of  the  years  eaten  by  the  caterpillar  and 
cankerworm,  so  now  they  fought  with  renewed 
vigor  the  restoration  of  the  years  that  had  been 
eaten  by  the  locust.  Again  history  repeated  itself, 
and  the  saints  a  step  lower,  unwilling  to  humble 
themselves,  fought  those  who  had  gone  a  step 

401 


THIS  IS  THAT 

higher,  and  many  refused  to  walk  in  the  light. 
They  failed  to  realize  that  God  really  meant  what 
He  said  when  He  promised  to  restore  "ALL"  that 
had  been  lost.  They  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  the 
Lord  was  coming  for  a  perfect  church  clad  with 
all  power  and  the  glory  of  the  Spirit.  Some  even 
declared  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
not  for  these  days,  and  did  not  understand  that  we 
are  still  living  in  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  will  be  till  Jesus  comes. 

Preachers  jumped  to  their  pulpits  and  began  to 
condemn  those  who  had  received  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  Bible  way;  they  cried  "Wildfire!  Excite- 
ment ! !  Hypnotism !  False  Teaching !"  etc.  All  sorts 
of  names  were  flung  at  them,  and  O  the  blindness 
of  these  dear  prosecutors'  eyes.  They  who  them- 
selves had  been  persecuted  for  the  light  of  a  few 
years  previous,  were  now  themselves  persecuting 
those  who  were  moving  on  into  greater  light. 
Papers  were  printed  to  condemn  the  outpouring  of 
the  Spirit,  great  preachers  mounted  their  plat- 
forms and  denounced  it,  but  they  could  no  more 
stop  God  from  restoring  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  pouring  out  the  latter  rain  than  the 
former  persecutors  had  been  able  to  stop  the  res- 
toration of  Salvation  and  Holiness  unto  the  Lord. 

THOSE  WHO   FIGHT  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT   LOSE   OUT. 

Those  who  fought  the  Holy  Spirit,  barred  their 
doors,  or  put  up  umbrellas  of  unbelief,  began  to 
dry  up  spiritually,  immediately.  Assemblies  and 
churches  who  once  were  on  fire  for  God,  and 
preaching  Holiness,  without  which  no  man  shall 
see  the  Lord,  the  moment  they  rejected  the  Holy 
Spirit  they  began  to  lose  their  power.  O  why  could 
they  not  see  that  this  latter  rain  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  was  just  what  they  needed  and  had  been 
pining  for !  Why  could  they  not  just  have  humbled 
themselves  and  let  the  Spirit,  who  had  been  "with 
them"  now  come  "in"  them,  making  them  the 

402 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

Temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost?  All  the  fighting  and 
persecution,  however,  was  unable  to  quench  the 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  upon  those  who  sought 
earnestly  with  pure  and  humble  hearts. 

To  fight  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  ac- 
companied by  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  with 
other  tongues,  according  to  Acts  2:4,  was  just  like 
a  man  with  a  broom  in  his  hand,  endeavoring  to 
sweep  back  the  tidal  waves  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
While  he  is  sweeping  it  back  in  one  place  it  rolls 
in  in  countless  others ;  moreover,  if  he  remains  long 
where  the  full  tides  are  rolling  in  and  does  not 
withdraw,  the  waves  will  soon  flow  over  him,  and 
he  will  be  "one  of  them."  Hallelujah ! 

A  broom  cannot  stop  the  tide  of  the  ocean, 
neither  can  fighting  stay  the  falling  of  the  latter 
rain,  for  God  hath  spoken  it.  "In  the  last  days  I 
ivill  pour  out  My  Spirit  upon  all  flesh."  O  stop 
fighting  God  and  open  up  your  heart  to  receive 
and  welcome  His  gift,  the  Holy  Spirit. 

During  the  past  twelve  years  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  hungry  seekers  have  received  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  when  and  wherever  He  came  in,  those 
who  received  Him  spoke  with  tongues  and  glorified 
God. 

Thus,  in  Circle  IX  on  the  chart,  I  saw  in  my 
vision  the  leaves  which  had  been  eaten  by  the 
locust  were  again  restored  to  the  tree.  Just  as 
many  in  Circle  7  and  8  had  believed  that  when  the 
Lord  had  restored  full  Salvation  and  Holiness 
they  had  all  there  was  for  them,  so  now  many 
who  had  received  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  believed 
that  they  had  all  the  Lord  had  for  them.  They 
conscientiously  believed  that  once  they  had  been 
filled  with  the  Spirit  and  had  spoken  with  other 
tongues,  they  really  had  all  the  Lord  had  for  them, 
and  stopped  seeking  for  more. 

This,  however,  had  not  been  all  the  church  had 
lost,  and  was  therefore  not  all  that  was  to  be 
restored. 

403 


THIS  IS  THAT 

CIKCLE  X. 

THE   YEARS    OF    THE    PALMER  WORM    RESTORED. 

Just  as  the  Father  bestowed  the  gift  of  His 
only  Son  Jesus  to  the  world,  and  just  as  Jesus 
bestows  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  promise  of 
the  Father  upon  the  believer,  so  now  in  turn,  the 
Holy  Spirit  has  gifts  to  bestow  upon  those  who 
receive  Him.  The  nine  gifts  and  fruits  of  the 
Spirit  seen  in  Circle  one  are  again  being  restored 
to  the  tree.  Many  blessed  children  of  the  Lord 
stop  short  at  salvation  and  consecration  and  fail 
to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  also  many  who  have 
received  the  Holy  Spirit  stop  short  and  fail  to 
covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts. 

In  seeking  more  of  God's  will  to  be  wrought  in 
our  lives,  after  having  received  the  Holy  Spirit, 
do  not  ask  for  more  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  because 
if  you  have  received  Him  you  have  received  all  of 
Him.  He  is  not  divisible.  Either  you  have,  or 
have  not  received  the  Holy  Spirit.  Therefore  if 
He  has  come  in  and  taken  up  His  abode  and 
spoken  through  you  with  other  tongues,  as  in 
Acts  2:4,  pray  that  you  may  be  more  yielded  to 
the  Spirit  who  dwells  within. 

Some  one  says  "O  do  not  seek  the  gifts,  seek 
the  giver."  But,  beloved,  if  you  have  received 
the  Spirit  you  have  received  the  giver,  and  Paul 
says: 

"Covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts.  Seek  that  you 
may  excel  to  the  edifying  of  the  church.  Let  him 
•irho  speaketh  in  an  unknown  tongue  pray  that  he 
way  interpret,  that  the  church  may  be  edified; 
covet  to  prophesy  "  etc.  There  is  a  real  genuine 
gift  of  prophecy  even  though  the  enemy  has  tried 
to  imitate  it.  Discerning  of  spirits  is  needed; 
gifts  of  healing,  etc.,  should  be  in  our  midst.  The 
gift  of  tongues  is  also  given.  All  who  receive 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  speak  with  tongues 
as  the  Spirit  gives  utterance,  but  very  few  receive 

404 


LOST  AND  RESTORED 

the  real  GIFT  of  tongues  so  that  they  are  enabled 
to  speak  at  will  to  foreigners.  Thisi  gift,  however, 
has  been  bestowed  upon  some,  and  we  have  met 
people  who  have  received  it  and  speak  languages 
to  foreigners  and  are  understood  though  they  never 
studied  the  language  in  their  lives.  In  such  in- 
stances the  message  is  of  Jesus  and  His  soon 
coining. 

THE   GIFTS   AND   FRUITS   ARE   AGAIN    APPEARING    UPON 
THE  TREE. 

In  Circle  10  we  see  the  fruit  not  yet  fully 
mature,  perhaps,  but  as  we  pray  and  yield  our- 
selves to  the  Spirit,  He  will  divide  to  every  man 
severally  as  He  will,  and  cause  the  gifts  and 
fruits  of  the  Spirit  to  be  visible  in  our  midst. 

JESUS    IS    COMING    SOON. 

Coming  for  a  perfect  church,  clad  in  power  and 
glory,  for  the  perfect  tree  with  every  gift  and 
fruit  hanging  in  luscious,  mellow,  developed  per- 
fection upon  her  branches.  O  let  us  wake  up  and 
press  on  to  perfection.  The  winter  is  over  and 
gone,  the  spring  with  its  former  rain  has  passed, 
the  summer  is  passing,  and  the  latter  rain  has 
long  been  falling.  The  harvest  is  at  hand  and 
the  Master  is  searching  for  ripened,  developed 
fruit.  Praise  God  for  the  roots  and  trunk  of 
salvation.  Praise  God  for  the  firm,  strong  limbs 
and  branches  of  holiness  and  consecration.  Praise 
God  for  the  green  leaves,  for  the  Holy  Spirit,  but 
the  Master  demands  fruit  from  His  tree  these 
last  days  before  His  coming.  Not  green,  immature 
fruit,  but  perfect  fruit.  He  is  whispering  just 
now: 

I  Will  Restore  All  the  Years  That  Have  Been 
Eaten. 

Dear  ones,  there  is  land  ahead  to  be  possessed. 
Let  the  fruit  of  Love  be  wrought  out  in  your  life, 
with  Joy,  Peace,  Longsuffering,  Gentleness,  Good- 

405 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ness,  Faith,  Meekness,  and  Temperance.  Let  us 
get  back  to  Pentecost,  and  on  to  the  fulness  of 
Pentecostal  power  and  glory  recorded  in  God's 
Word,  for  Jesus  is  coming  soon,  very  soon,  for 
His  perfect  waiting  church,  His  bride,  unspotted 
with  the  world;  His  tree  with  its  unblemished  and 
perfect  fruit.  Soon  He  will  lift  us  up  and  trans- 
plant us  to  the  heavenly  garden  where  our  leaves 
shall  not  wither,  neither  shall  the  fruit  decay. 

The  arrow  is  almost  to  the  top  now,  the  hour 
when  Jesus  will  burst  the  starry  floor  of  heaven 
and  descend  for  His  beloved  is  at  hand.  The  great 
clock  of  time  has  almost  reached  the  appointed 
hour.  Let  nothing  hinder  the  work  of  preparation 
in  your  life.  Let  us  beware  that  we  quench  not 
the  Spirit. 

Watch  that  we  do  not  fall  into  the  same  snare 
which  other  people  formerly  used  of  God  have 
fallen  into;  snares  of  formality,  of  coldness  and 
organization,  building  walls  about  ourselves  and 
failing  to  recognize  the  other  members  of  our  body 
(for  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all  baptized  into  ONE 
BODY).  If  ever  we  put  up  walls  and  fall  into 
these  snares  of  formality  God  will  step  over  our 
walls  and  choose  another  people  as  surely  as  He 
did  in  days  of  yore.  He  will  not  give  His  glory  to 
another,  but  will  take  the  foolish  to  confound  the 
mighty,  the  weak  to  confound  the  strong. 

Press  on  therefore  to  perfection,  do  not  stop 
short  of  God's  best.  If  you  lay  down  your  crown 
another  will  take  it  up,  the  number  will  be  com- 
plete, none  will  be  missing,  only  those  who  have 
pressed  on  all  the  way  to  His  standard  will  be 
caught  up.  If  you  have  been  doubting  God  doubt 
no  longer.  He  is  waiting  to  restore  all  the  years 
that  have  been  eaten,  and  cause  you  to  stand  forth 
in  that  glorious  perfect  tree  company  ready  and 
waiting  for  Jesus.  AMEN. 


406 


YOU  NEED  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

LIVING  as  we  are  today  in  the  closing  hours 
of  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  is  of 
utmost  importance  that  the  work  and  incom- 
ing of  the  Comforter  should  not  only  be  preached, 
but  understood  and  received. 

Is  it  necessary  for  the  saints  of  today  to  receive 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  ask? 

Is  it  necessary  for  the  roses  to  receive  rain  as 
well  as  sunshine? 

What  the  SUN  is  to  the  flowers,  Jesus — the  Son 
of  Righteousness — is  to  His  blood- washed  children. 
As  the  RAIN  to  the  thirsty,  parched  gardens,  so 
is  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  growing  child  of  God. 

Salvation  is  not  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Sanctification  is  not  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

Salvation  and  sanctification  (whether  you  have 
been  taught  holiness  as  one  or  two  definite  experi- 
ences or  not),  all  must  agree,  are  wrought  through 
Jesus  and  His  precious,  atoning  blood. 

The  baptism  spoken  of  by  John  the  Baptist, 
(Matt.  3:11)  and  by  Peter  (Acts  2:38),  is  the 
coming  of  the  Comforter  into  the  cleansed,  empty 
vessel  which  makes  the  body  of  the  recipient  the 
temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  comes  to  exalt  and 
glorify  Jesus,  to  equip  the  soul  for  service,  to  en- 
due with  power  from  on  high,  power  to  testify, 
power  to  pray,  power  to  overcome  as  never  before, 
and  to  prepare  that  soul  for  the  coming  of  the 
Lord.  It  is  the  blood  of  Jesus  that  cleanseth  from 
all  sin ;  the  Holy  Spirit  longs  to  enter  the  cleansed 
and  waiting  heart. 

Some  have  thoughtlessly  declared — 

"I   have   Jesus,    and   I   do   not   need   the   Holy 

407 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Spirit."  But  you  do  need  Him,  dear  one.  Jesus 
Himself  said: 

"Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  "If  you  love 
Me  keep  My  commandments  and  I  will  pray  the 
Father  and  He  shall  give  you  another  Comforter 
that  He  may  abide  with  you  forever." 

For  you  to  start  out  independently  to  meet  the 
Lord,  denying  your  need  of  the  indwelling  Spirit, 
is  like  a  child  insisting  that  it  has  wisdom  and 
education  enough,  and  needs  no  tutor  to  teach  it 
to  read  or  write;  or  like  boarding  a  vessel  bound 
for  Liverpool,  and  insisting  on  steering  the  ship 
yourself,  with  no  need  of  the  captain's  experienced 
hand  or  chart. 

Without  a  doubt,  dear  Christian,  this  literal, 
tangible,  incoming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  just  what 
you  need  and  have  been  longing  for  for  years. 
Thank  the  Lord  for  salvation,  for  Jesus  who  shed 
His  precious  blood,  but  remember  that  just  as  it 
took  three  stories  to  complete  the  ark  which 
lifted  Noah  and  his  family  above  the  waves,  just 
so  it  has  taken  the  combined  efforts  of  the  Triune 
God,  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  to  form  the 
ark  that  shall  catch  up  His  people  above  the 
waves  of  tribulation  that  shall  soon  sweep  o'er 
this  earth. 

The  dispensation  of  the  Father,  as  recorded  in 
the  Old  Testament,  from  Genesis  to  Malachi,  is 
past;  the  dispensation  of  the  Son  and  His  walk 
upon  this  earth,  as  recorded  in  the  four  Gospels, 
ended;  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which 
opened  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  Acts  2,  and  will 
not  close  until  the  church  and  the  members  of 
the  body  have  been  sealed  and  caught  up  to  meet 
the  Lord,  is  nearing  its  completion.  This  age  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  promised  by  the  Father 
through  the  prophets  in  the  Old  Testament.  Isaiah 
28  ill  declares  that  with  stammering  lips  and 
another  tongue  will  He  speak  to  this  people. 

408 


YOU  NEED  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

Speaking  through  the  prophet  Joel,  our  God 
promised  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  saying: 

"In  the  last  days  I  will  pour  out  My  Spirit 
upon  all  flesh.  Your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophesy.  .  .  .  Upon  My  servants  and 
My  handmaidens  I  will  pour  out  My  Spirit.  He 
will  cause  to  come  down  for  you  the  rain,  both  the 
former  and  the  latter  rain  in  the  first  month." 

"Ask  ye  of  the  Lord  rain  in  the  time  of  the 
latter  rain/'  another  prophet  writes,  "and  He  will 
send  bright  clouds  and  give  to  every  one  grass  in 
the  field." 

John  the  Baptist  caught  the  vision  and  prophe- 
sied to  the  multitude  that  flocked  to  him  on 
Jordan's  bank. 

"I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water  unto  repent- 
ance f  but  He  that  cometh  after  me  .  .  .  He 
shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with 
fire." 

How  significant  that  John  should  select  this 
particular  prophecy  concerning  that  which  our 
Lord  should  do.  He  might  have  said, 

"He,  when  He  is  come,  will  heal  the  sick;  He 
will  raise  the  dead;  He  will  feed  the  multitude, 
or  He  will  be  smitten  and  nailed  to  the  tree." 
But  though  all  these  were  wonderful  and  Avorthy 
of  being  declared  by  such  a  remarkable  preacher, 
the  thing  which  God  spoke  of  Jesus  through  his 
inspired  lips,  was: 

"He,  when  He  is  come,  SHALL  BAPTIZE  YOU 
WITH  THE  HOLY  GHOST  AND  WITH  FIRE." 

Then  came  Jesus,  who  had  been  conceived  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  whose  life  was  tenderly 
wrapped  up  and  associated  from  birth  to  resur- 
rection with  the  Spirit,  and  was  baptized  of  John 
in  the  Jordan.  Then  it  was  that  the  Spirit  in 
bodily  form  as  of  a  dove  came  down  and  abode 
upon  Him. 

If  Jesus  needed  this  enduement  of  power  before 

409 


THIS  IS  THAT 

He  began  His  ministry,  how  much  more  do  you 
and  I  need  the  Spirit  today.  Many  have  asked 
the  question : 

"Why  did  Jesus  not  speak  in  tongues  when  He 
received  the  Holy  Spirit?"  We  do  not  know 
whether  He  did  or  not.  All  power  was  given  unto 
Him  in  heaven  and  in  e.arth,  but  Ave  do  know  that 
we  have  no  record  of  any  person  ever  having 
spoken  in  tongues  until  the  curtain  rolled  up  on 
the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  as  recorded  in  Acts  2.  Then  the  very 
instant  that  the  Holy  Spirit  came,  those  who  re- 
ceived Him  "began  to  speak  with  other  tongues 
as  He  gave  them  utterance." 

Have  you  ever  been  impressed,  in  reading  the 
four  Gospels,  to  notice  the  ever-increasing  empha- 
sis that  the  Lord  placed  upon  the  necessity  for 
receiving  the  Holy  Ghost?  In  fact  the  last  words 
that  He  spoke,  before  His  feet  lifted  from  this 
earth  and  He  was  taken  up  from  them  into 
heaven,  were  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  recorded  by 
Luke : 

"Behold,  I  send  the  promise  of  My  Father  upon 
you,  but  tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem  until  ye 
be  endued  with  power  from  on  high"  As  recorded 
by  Mark : 

"These  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe.  In 
My  name  they  shall  cast  out  devils;  they  shall 
speak  with  new  tongues"  etc.  As  recorded  in 
the  first  chapter  of  Acts : 

"John  truly  baptised  with  water,  but  you  shall 
be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many  days 
hence.  .  ;;  .-  Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be 
witnesses  of  Me  both  in  Jerusalem  and  in  Judea 
and  Samaria  and  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth."  The  next  verse  tells  us  that  when  He 
had  spoken  these  things,  while  they  beheld,  He 
was  taken  up. 

410 


YOU  NEED  THE  HOLY  SPIKIT 

'Tis  as  though  the  last  thing  that  had  been 
upon  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  and  that  which  He 
sought  to  impress  upon  His  disciples,  was  the 
necessity  of  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit.  Oh,  dear 
Christian,  how  can  you  hesitate  any  longer?  Go 
quickly  unto  the  Lord  today,  and  under  the 
precious  blood,  lift  up  your  heart  in  praise  and 
thanksgiving  unto  Him ;  ask,  and  you  shall  receive, 
seek,  and  you  shall  find,  knock,  and  it  shall  be 
opened  unto  you,  for  He  is  truly  more  willing  to 
give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him  than 
are  our  earthly  parents  to  give  good  gifts  to  their 
children. 


411 


TARRY  UNTIL. 

ALTHOUGH  there  were  but  twelve  apostles, 
the  Lord  whilst  here  on  earth  had  many  dis- 
ciples and  followers.     These  disciples  He 
commanded  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
Gospel,  but  bade  them  tarry  first  in  Jerusalem  un- 
til they  should  be  endued  with  power  from  on  high. 

Appearing  to  many  after  His  resurrection,  and 
He  reiterated  His  command : 

"Go,  but  tarry  until  you  receive  the  Holy  Spirit 
whom  I  shall  send  you  from  My  Father  above." 

Just  how  many  heard  His  command  we  know 
not.  There  were  at  least  five  hunded,  but  we  do 
know  that  out  of  even  that  five  hundred,  three 
hundred  and  eighty  knew  a  better  way.  Had  they 
not  walked  with  Jesus?  Had  they  not  seen  the 
sick  healed  and  miracles  wrought?  Their  experi- 
ence was  good  enough  for  them — why  should  they 
go  up  to  Jerusalem  and  tarry  ten  days  for  this 
promised  power? 

There  were  a  faithful  few,  however,  about  one 
hundred  and  twenty  in  number,  who  were  simple 
enough  to  believe  the  Lord  implicitly,  take  Him  at 
His  word,  and  make  haste  into  Jerusalem,  there 
to  tarry  until  the  Comforter  should  come. 

Have  you  ever  tried  to  picture  that  little  com- 
pany hurrying  along  the  streets  toward  the  upper 
room,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left; 
filled  with  but  one  idea,  one  longing — to  receive 
the  Holy  Spirit  as  their  Lord  had  commanded. 

Can  you  not  close  your  eyes  and  picture  Peter 
hurrying  around  the  corner,  a  light  of  expectancy 
and  hope  in  his  eyes.  Someone  may  have  stopped 
him  and  said: 

"Peter,  where  are  you  going  in  such  a  hurry?" 

"I  am  on  my  way  to  the  upper  room,  to  tarry 
until  I  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

412 


TARRY  UNTIL. 

"Why^  Peter,  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you 
need  the  Holy  Spirit?"  Have  not  great  miracles 
been  wrought  at  your  hands.  Did  you  not  preach 
throughout  the  land  for  Jesus?  Were  not  the 
sick  brought  unto  you,  and  did  not  demons  go 
forth  at  your  command?  Surely  you  are  mistaken. 
You  do  not  need  the  Holy  Spirit.  Then,  too,  you 
might  lose  your  standing  if  people  see  you  down 
seeking  some  new  experience;  they  will  think  you 
are  backslidden."  But  I  can  seem  to  hear  Peter 
reply : 

"Oh  yes,  I  do,  I  do  need  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  There  is  such  a  lack  in  my  life.  Did  you 
not  hear  how  I  denied  the  Lord?  Failed  in  the 
most  crucial  testing  hour.  Hinder  me  not;  I 
must  be  on  my  way.  I  need  the  Holy  Spirit." 
And  up  the  stairs  He  goes  to  "Tarry  Until" — 

Before  long  other  footsteps  are  heard,  and 
round  the  corner  comes  -Thomas. 

"Thomas,  where  are  you  going  in  such  a  hurry 
this  morning?" 

"Going  to  the  upper  room,  there  to  receive  the 
Holy  Spirit.  My  Lord  has  ascended  unto  His 
Father  that  He  might  pour  Him  out  upon  us." 

"But,  Thomas,  surely  you  do  not  think  that  an 
old  doubter  like  you  could  ever  receive  such  an 
experience." 

"Yes,  Glory  to  Jesus.  The  promise  is  unto  me^ 
The  past  is  all  under  the  blood.  This  is  just 
the  power  that  I  need  to  banish  doubts  forever 
from  my  heart  and  mind,"  and  on  he  hurries,  down 
the  street  until  he  turns  in  at  the  upper  room 
stairway. 

Before  he  has  more  than  vanished  from  sight, 
two  soft,  earnest  voices  are  heard,  and  round  the 
corner  in  their  long,  flowing  robes,  come  Mary  and 
Martha.  By  the  light  in  their  eyes  and  the 
tenderness  of  their  voices  it  is  easy  to  know  they 
are  talking  about  their  beloved  Jesus. 

413 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Pardon  me  a  moment,  Sisters,  Mary  and 
Martha,  but  where  are  you  going  this  morning?" 

"We  have  come  to  Jerusalem,  there  to  meet  and 
wait  with  other  hungry  hearts  in  obedience  to  our 
Lord's  command,  until  we  have  received  the 
Comforter  whom  He  shall  surely  send  from  on 
high." 

"Oh,  Mary,"  someone  expostulates,  "surely  you 
do  not  mean  to  admit  that  you  have  lived  so  close 
to  Jesus,  you  who  have  sat  at  His  feet  and  learned 
of  Him,  need  to  tarry  for  another  experience. 
Now  if  it  was  Martha,  I  might  understand,  but 
you,  Mary!" 

"Ah,  yes,  Brother,  every  fiber  of  my  being  cries 
out  the  need  of  this  promised  gift  of  the  Father. 
'Tis  more  than  an  experience,  it  is  the  incoming  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  who  shall  lead  and  guide  into  all 
truth,  who  shall  pray  through  us  with  groanings 
that  cannot  be  uttered,  who  shall  take  the  things 
of  Jesus  and  reveal  them  unto  us,  show  us  things 
to  come  and  endue  us  Avith  power  from  on  high. 

"Kindly  pardon  our  haste,  but  we  have  no  time 
to  lose.  Come,  Martha,  we  must  away." 

What  a  procession  they  must  have  made,  that 
little  hundred  and  twenty.  Yonder  goes  Mary 
Magdalene.  From  the  other  direction  come  James 
and  John.  There  is  Andrew  and  Philip,  Bar- 
tholomew and  Matthew,  James  and  Judas — but 
hark!  Again  I  hear  voices  and  the  tread  of  feet 
upon  the  pavement,  and  round  the  corner  comes 
Mary  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  leaning  upon  the  arms 
of  His  brethren.  Though  her  head  is  bent  a  little 
and  the  lines  in  her  pale  face  reveal  the  suffering 
and  the  sword  which  had  lately  pierced  her  heart, 
there  is  a  new  light  and  glorious  hope  shining  in 
her  eyes. 

"Be  not  downcast,  nor  discouraged,  my  sons,  for 
Jesus,  your  brother  and  my  Son,  hath  plainly  de- 
clared that  lie  would  not  leave  us  comfortless  but 

414 


TARRY  UNTIL 

that  if  He  went  away  He  would  send  another,  even 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  that  when  He  was  come  He 
would  lead  us  into  all  truth." 

"Why,  Mary,  thou  pure  virgin,  surely  Y-O-TJ  do 
not  need  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  who  were  so  conse- 
crated and  abandoned  to  the  will  of  God  that  you 
could  look  up  into  the  face  of  the  angel — in  the 
face  of  misunderstanding,  reproach,  persecution, 
and  the  likelihood  of  being  taken  into  the  market 
square  and  stoned  to  death,  as  was  the  custom, 
and  say: 

"  'Behold  the  handmaiden  of  the  Lord.  Be  it 
done  unto  me  even  according  to  thy  word/ 

"You  who  have  been  sanctified  through  suffer- 
ing and  the  death  of  your  Lord,  Mary,  do  you 
really  mean  to  say  that  you  feel  the  need  of  this 
baptism  of  the  HoV  Spirit?" 

"Ah,  yes,  never  did  I  feel  the  need  of  the  Com- 
forter as  now  that  Jesus  is  gone  unto  His  Father. 
But  even  outside  of  my  feeling  the  need  of  thc», 
Spirit,  the  command  of  my  Lord  would  be  enough 
for  me.  He  said  that  I  needed  the  Spirit.  He 
commanded  us  to  tarry  until  He  came,  and  surely 
Jesus  knew  best."  With  a  gracious  bow  they  move 
on  and  e'er  long  lift  their  voices  with  those  of  the 
others  in  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  upper 
room.  (Acts  1:14.) 

Who  can  describe  or  picture  the  heart-searching, 
the  humbling,  the  crying  out  to  be  made  conform- 
able to  the  will  of  God's  dear  Son,  that  took  place 
in  the  ten  days  that  followed  His  ascension?  We 
read  that  they  continued  with  one  accord,  Peter 
not  pointing  to  the  failures  of  Thomas,  nor  do  we 
read  that  any  pointed  the  finger  of  accusation  at 
Peter,  saying  hr. 

"You  have  no  business  up  here,  you  denied  the 
Lord." 

The  past  is  all  under  the  blood;  past  failures 
have  been  acknowledged,  confessed  and  forgiven ; 

415 


THIS  IS  THAT 

earthly  cares  and  the  duties  and  the  stress  of  the 
busy  world  outside  have  been  shut  out.  With  open 
hearts  they  simply  and  humbly  wait  before  the 
Lord  with  prayers'  and  supplications,  knowing  that 
His  Word  cannot  fail— and  that  they  that  ask 
shall  surely  receive. 

"And  when  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come, 
they  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place. 

"And  suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from  heaven 
as  of  a  rushing,  mighty  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the 
house  where  they  were  sitting.  And  there  ap- 
peared unto  them  cloven  tongues  like  as  of  fire, 
and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them. 

"And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  began  to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  'the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance."  (Acts  2:1-4.) 

They  had  met  the  conditions — the  Lord  had 
kept  His  Word — the  Comforter  had  come. 

Believer,  are  you  tarrying  before  the  Lord  for 
the  promise  of  Father  today?  Have  you  come  to 
the  end  of  yourself,  empty,  cleansed,  humble,  IOAV 
under  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus?  Are  you 
waiting  with  prayer  and  supplication  as  did  those 
Bible  saints  of  old?  If  so,  the  Lord  will  meet  you 
quickly.  God's  time  is  now.  It  is  not  His  will 
that  you  should  wait  until  some  vague  tomorrow 
for  His  Spirit.  In  the  day  you  seek  Him  with 
your  whole  heart  He  will  be  found  of  you. 

Have  you  failed  in  the  past?  Have  you  at 
times  denied  your  Lord  just  when  you  should  have 
stood  most  true?  Have  you  been  a  doubting- 
Thomas?  And  do  you  feel  your  need  of  strength 
and  power?  Does  your  soul  cry  out  for  a  greater 
revelation  of  Jesus  and  His  Word,  for  a  greater 
vision  and  a  broader  horizon?  Then  TARRY 
UNTIL  you  are  endued  with  power  from  on  high. 

Believer,  have  you  been  used  mightily  in  the 
past  in  soul- winning?  Have  the  sick  been  healed 
and  demons  cast  out  in  answer  to  your  prayer? 

416 


TARRY  UNTIL 

Have  you,  like  Mary  of  old,  sat  learning  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus?  Has  the  joy  of  salvation  and  the 
presence  of  the  Spirit  abiding  with  you,  and  at 
times  anointing  with  gladness  until  your  soul 
overflowed  with  joy,  seemed  precious? 

If  so,  thank  God,  but  you,  too,  like  Peter  and 
John,  Thomas  and  Bartholomew,  with  all  the 
other  apostles,  and  with  Mary  the  Mother  of  Jesus, 
and  the  other  women  with  their  brethren,  need 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Oh,  how  you  need  Him!  Doors 
are  opening  just  before  you.  The  land  of  Canaan 
— a  new  land,  a  land  of  power  and  glory,  lies  just 
beyond.  Jesus  is  coming  soon.  The  message 
must  be  spread  broadcast,  and  souls  gathered  in 
before  His  appearing. 

He  is  calling  you  to  go,  preach  the  Gospel,  wit- 
ness to  all  about  you— GO,  BUT  TARRY  UNTIL 
the  Holy  Spirit  has  come  in  to  abide — go,  but 
tarry  first  in  Jerusalem  until  you  have  been  en- 
dued with  power  from  on  high. 


417 


THIS  IS  THAT 

THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

THE  curtains  of  the  clouds  which  angelic  hands 
had    swept   together    when,    the    redemptive 
work  of  Jesus  on  earth  completed,  His  ascend- 
ing form  disappeared  from  view,  had  again  been 
parted,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  whom  Jesus  had  said 
— "He  will  abide  with  you  forever" — had  been  sent 
forth  from  the  presence  of  the  Father.     No  sooner 
were  they  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  than  they 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit 
gave  them  utterance. 

And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Spirit. 

What  was  the  immediate  result  and  the  out- 
ward evidence  of  that  filling? — They  began  to 
speak  with  other  tongues. 

Is  there  any  record  of  anyone  ever  having 
spoken  in  other  tongues  (languages  which  they 
had  never  learned  and  were  unknown  to  them- 
selves; see  I  Cor.  14:2),  previous  to  the  day  of 
Pentecost  and  the  opening  of  the  dispensation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit?  NO. 

The  devout  Jews  who  were  gathered  into  Jerusa- 
lem at  this  time,  for  the  religious  feasts  and 
ceremonies,  came  running  together  in  multitudes, 
and,  upon  hearing  the  languages  of  the  countries 
in  which  they  had  been  born,  spoken  by  these 
simple,  unlearned  Galileans,  they  were  amazed, 
astonished,  and  in  doubt. 

At  what  were  the  people  astonished?  At  what 
did  they  marvel?  At  the  rushing  mighty  wind? 
No. 

The  tongues  of  fire?  No;  they  are  not  again 
mentioned,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  those  who 
came  together  after  the  one  hundred  and  twenty 
had  been  filled  even  saw  them. 

What  then?  They  were  amazed  and  marveled  at 
the  supernatural  power  that  rested  upon  these 
men  and  women,  causing  them  to  reel  and  stagger, 

418 


THE  BAPTISM   OF  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT 

Acts    2:13,    as    though    drunken    with    wine,    and 
to  speak  with  tongues  unknown  to  themselves. 

The  spectators  who  looked  upon  the  out-pouring 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  were 
divided  into  two  classes  just  as  they  are  today. 

One  class  were  the  mockers,  who  said  in  derision, 
"These  men  are  full  of  new  wine.  Come  on,  let's 
have  nothing  to  do  with  these  people.  They  are 
fanatics.  This  is  all  excitement.  ?Tis  ridiculous 
to  create  so  much  noise  and  excitement  over  re- 
ligion; the  whole  city  is  in  an  uproar;  nothing 
but  wildfire.  They  ought  to  be  arrested/'  etc. 

The  other  class  were  the  thinkers — the  thought- 
ful, intelligent  men  and  women,  who  said: 

"Wait  a  moment.  There  must  surely  be  some- 
thing behind  all  this.  The  ring  in  these  people's 
voices — the  shout  in  their  souls — the  joy  and  love, 
worship  and  adoration  reflected  in  their  faces — 
there  must  be  some  specific  reason  for  it.  They 
are  certainly  not  reeling  and  staggering  about 
like  that  for  nothing.  They  must  surely  realize 
that  the  people  who  look  on  will  make  fun  of  them 
and  think  they  have  lost  their  senses. 

If  they  are  not  doing  it  for  money  nor  for 
popularity,  then  why  are  they  doing  it?  They  are 
certainly  not  all  fools.  If  there  were  only  one  or 
two  we  might  think  they  were,  but  here  are  about 
one  hundred  and  twenty;  surely  they  cannot  all 
be  mad.  I  am  going  to  investigate  this  matter  and 
see  what  there  is  behind  it  all. 

Tell  us,  Oh  tell  us,  some  of  you  good,  happy 
people  in  there — stop  your  shouting  and  your  re- 
joicing for  a  little  space,  and  answer — WHAT 
MEANETH  THIS?" 

Then  Peter,  standing  up — 

"Peter,  what  are  you  rising  up  for?  Are  you 
frightened,  Peter?  Are  you  going  to  run  away 
and  seek  to  escape  from  this  big,  excited,  question- 
ing multitude  as  you  did  from  the  little  girl  that 
night  you  denied  the  Lord?" 

419 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Bun  away?  Oh  no!  I  will  never  run  away 
any  more  now.  I  have  been  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  fire.  He  has  endued  me  with  power 
from  on  high.  He  has  taken  fear  away  and  put 
a  holy  boldness  within  my  heart  and  words 
within  my  mouth,  insomuch  that  out  of  my  inner- 
most being  flow  forth  rivers  of  living  water.'' 
Acts  4:13. 

And  Peter,  standing  up  (ah,  the  Holy  Spirit 
puts  a  real  "stand  up  for  Jesus"  in  the  timid 
soul)  with  the  eleven,  lifted  up  his  voice  and  said: 

"Ye  men  of  Judea,  and  all  ye  that  dwell  at 
Jerusalem,  be  this  known  unto  you,  and  hearken 
to  my  words;  for  these  are  not  drunken,  as  ye 
suppose,  seeing  it  is  but  the  third  hour  of  the 
day,  but  this  is  that  which  was  spoken  of  the 
prophet  Joel.  It  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last 
days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  My  Spirit  upon 
all  flesh.  Your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy  ...  on  My  servants  and  My  hand- 
maidens I  will  pour  out  in  those  days  of  My 
Spirit,  and  they  shall  prophesy.  I  will  show 
wonders  in  the  heavens  above,  signs  in  the  earth 
beneath  .  .  .  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  that 
whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  saved. 

"Ye  men  of  Israel,  hear  these  words;  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  ...  ye  have  taken,  and  by  wicked 
hands  have  crucified  and  slain." 

"Why,  Peter,  aren't  you  afraid  to  talk  like  that 
to  this  great  mob  of  people?  Do  you  not  know 
that  they  gnash  their  teeth  and  hiss  at  the  very 
name  of  Jesus?  Are  you  not  aware  that  you  are 
laying  yourself  open  to  the  danger  of  being  seized 
upon,  carried  to  the  whipping  post,  stripped, 
beaten  and  stoned  to  death?  I  thought  that  you 
were  a  timid  man  who  was  ashamed  to  be  knowji 
as  one  of  them?" 

"Oh  no,  I  will  never  be  ashamed  to  be  called  one 

420 


THE  BAPTISM   OF  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT 

of  the  despised,  persecuted,  peculiar  few  any  more. 
The  Holy  Ghost  has  come  to  abide  in  this  life  of 
mine,  and  the  words  that  I  speak  I  speak  not  of 
myself;  the  works  that  I  do  I  do  not  of  myself, 
but  the  Holy  Spirit  who  has  come  to  dwell  within, 
He  speaks  the  words;  He  does  the  works. 

This  Jesus  hath  God  raised  up,  whereof  we  are 
witnesses.  Therefore  being  by  the  right  hand  of 
God  exalted  and  having  received  of  the  Father 
the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  He  hath  shed 
fortH  this  which  you  see  (in  the  reeling  bodies 
of  those  who  appear  to  be  drunken),  and  hear 
(in  the  speaking  in  other  tongues)." 

So  boldly  did  this  transformed  man  speak  under 
the  mighty  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  his 
hearers  were  pricked  to  their  hearts  and  said  unto 
Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles: 

"Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?" 

"Then  Peter  said  unto  them — Kepent,  and  be 
baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall 
receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

For  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your 
children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as 
many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call." 

What  promise  is  unto  all  that  are  afar  off,  even 
as  many  as  the  Lord  God  shall  call,  Peter? 

The  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost — that  which  you 
see  and  hear. 

But  hoAV  much  of  the  promise  is  unto  us, 
Peter?  Surely  not  all  this  mighty  power,  accom- 
panied with  the  speaking  in  tongues.  Was  this 
not  only  the  opening  of  the  dispensation  and  for 
the  Jews? 

But  no,  says  Peter,  "The  promise  is  unto  them 
that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  shall 
call,  for  now  in  Christ  Jesus  there  is  neither  Jew 
nor  Gentile;  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free.  In 
Him  we  are  one  and  are  baptized  into  the  one 

body." 

421 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Acts  10:44,  eight  years  after  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, the  door  of  salvation  and  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  opened  unto  the  Gentiles.  Walking 
into  the  home  of  Cornelius,  in  the  44th  verse,  we 
find  a  meeting  in  progress.  Cornelius  has  gath- 
ered his  household,  his  servants,  and  his  neighbors 
together  to  hear  the  Avords  which  Peter  is  to  speak, 
words  whereby  they  may  be  saved. 

"And  while  Peter  yet  spake  these  words,  the 
Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the 
Word. 

"And  they  of  the  circumcision  which  believed 
were  astonished,  as  many  as  came  with  Peter, 
because  that  on  the  Gentiles  also  was  poured  out 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"For  they  heard  them  speak  with  tongues,  and 
magnify  God." 

In  all  these  eight  years  the  manner  in  which 
the  Holy  Spirit  came  in  had  not  been  changed— 
the  same  Bible  evidence — speaking  in  tongues, 
remained.  Even  though  there  were  no  foreigners 
who  came  from  other  countries  and  spoke  other 
languages,  present  to  be  benefited  by  the  speaking 
in  tongues,  the  Spirit  spoke  through  them  just 
the  same,  as  He  had  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 

In  Acts  19  a  new  voice  is  heard  preaching  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"Have  you  received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  you 
believed?" 

Why,  that  voice  and  face  seems  familiar.  Have 
we  seen  or  heard  this  man  before? 

Excuse  me,  brother,  but  is  your  name  not  Saul 
of  Tarsus?  Is  this  really  you  preaching  the 
necessity  of  receiving  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit !  I  thought  you  condemned  all  this,  thought 
it  to  be  folly  and  not  to  be  permitted.  Did  you 
not  say  that  you  were  going  to  put  an  end  to 
all  this  nonsense,  when,  after  you  had  looked  on 
approvingly  at  the  stoning  of  Stephen,  you  rode 

422 


THE  BAPTISM   OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

away  to  Damascus  with  the  intention  of  still 
further  persecuting  these  Pentecostal  Holy  Ghost 
people?" 

"Yes,  I  used  to  persecute  these  Christians.  I 
thought  that  they  were  all  wrong  and  should  be 
wiped  out  of  existence,  but  that  was  before  my 
eyes  were  opened. 

Did  you  not  hear  how  that,  when  riding  on  my 
way  to  do  them  greater  hurt,  the  light  of  the  Lord 
shone  round  about  me  and  I  was  stricken  from 
my  horse  and  fell  as  one  dead  in  the  dust  of  the 
road,  and  how  Jesus,  whose  face  was  brighter  than 
the  sun,  and  whose  raiment  was  whiter  than  the 
light,  came  and  spoke  to  me,  saying: 

'Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  Me?' 

Three  days  was  I  blind  from  the  vision  of  His 
brightness.  Then  was  I  converted  and  my  name 
was  changed  from  Saul  to  Paul. 

Yes,  I  am  one  of  them  today.  I  will  talk  with 
you  later,  but  now  I  must  go  on  with  my  meeting." 

After  the  baptismal  service  wherein  the  disciples 
are  buried  in  the  watery  grave,  in  verse  six,  we 
see  Paul  laying  his  hands  upon  them,  and  read 
that  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on  them  and  they  spoke 
with  tongues  and  prophesied.  Here,  as  in  Jerusa- 
lem and  in  the  house  of  Cornelius,  the  first  thing 
that  was  mentioned  of  the  souls  that  received  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  that  they  spoke  with  tongues. 

In  Acts  8 :17,  18,  we  find  sinful  and  wicked 
Simon  the  sorcerer,  so  impressed  with  the  mighty 
power  displayed  when  the  believers  received  the 
Holy  Ghost  upon  the  laying  on  of  the  apostles' 
hands,  that  he  offered  money  to  the  apostles  in 
the  hopes  of  being  able  to  purchase  the  same 
power,  saying: 

"Give  me*  also  this  power,  that  on  whomsoever 
I  lay  my  hands,  he  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Without  a  doubt  Simon  saw  and  heard  the  same 
things  that  the  onlookers  saAV  and  heard  on  the 

423 


THIS  IS  THAT 

day  of  Pentecost.  But  Oh,  this  power  could  not  be 
bought.  All  the  money  in  the  world  could  not 
have  purchased  it,  but  to  those  who  humble  them- 
selves in  lowliness  and  in  sincerity  before  the 
Lord  shall  the  Spirit  be  given  freely  without 
money  and  without  price. 

Oh,  tell  me,  Peter  and  Paul,  tell  me  John  and 
James,  and  all  you  who  received  this  mighty  in- 
coming of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  its  attendant 
power  and  glory,  may  we,  in  this  20th  century,  re- 
ceive .this  like  precious  gift,  or  did  the  Holy  Spirit 
empty  Himself  of  all  His  power  in  the  apostolic 
days?  Did  you  consume  all  of  these  supernatural 
wondrous  blessings,  or  did  you  leave  enough  to 
spare  for  us  today? 

"Yes,  indeed/'  they  answer  in  unison.  "Heaven 
has  not  gone  bankrupt.  Heaven's  storehouse  still 
is  full.  The  Holy  Spirit  has  never  lost  His  power, 
the  promise  is  unto  them  that  are  afar  off,  even  as 
many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.  Did  not 
our  Lord  say:  'When  He  is  come,  He  will  abide 
with  you  forever'? 

"Doubt  no  longer,  but  with  open  heart  ask  ye 
of  the  Lord  rain  in  the  time  of  the  latter  rain.  Re- 
member the  words  of  Joel  the  prophet :  'It  shall 
come  to  pass  in  the  LAST  days,'  saith  God,  'I  will 
pour  out  My  Spirit  upon  all  flesh.'  Remember, 
too,  that  when  the  high  priest  went  in  to  the  Holy 
of  Holies  the  bells  rang,  and  when  the  high  priest 
came  out  the  bells  rang  again. 

"When  Jesus  ascended  up  on  high  the  bells  rang 
and  the  people  spoke  with  tongues  and  magnified 
God.  Now  this  same  Jesus,  our  high  priest,  is 
coming  forth  again  for  His  waiting  church,  and 
on  earth  the  bells  are  ringing,  the  latter  rain  is 
falling,  and  again  those  who  have  received  the  old- 
time  power  speak  with  other  tongues." 


424 


WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

JUST  as  God  the  Father  promised,  with  ever  in- 
creasing emphasis  in  the  Old  Testament  the 
coming  time  in  which  His  Son  should  be  mani- 
fested, so  during  the  latter  months  of  Jesus'  minis- 
try He  promised  when  He  went  away  He  also  would 
bestow  a  gift  upon  the  world,  even  the  Holy  Ghost. 
As  the  hour  of  his  departure  approached,  and  Cal: 
vary's  cross  cast  its  shadow  over  the  fearful  hearts 
of  His  disciples,  Jesus  more  and  more  sought  to 
impress  upon  the  minds  of  His  people  the  neces- 
sity and  importance  of  receiving  His  gift — the 
Comforter. 

So  many  times  did  the  Lord  promise  the  Spirit 
and  explain  the  importance  of  His  coming  and  His 
office  work  in  our  lives  from  conviction  to  bap- 
tism, and  on  to  perfection,  that  time  and  space 
will  permit  our  giving  only  a  few  quotations  at 
this  time. 

In  the  16th  chapter  of  John,  Jesus  said:  "It  is 
expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if  I  go  not 
away  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you,  but 
if  I  depart  I  will  send  Him  unto  you."  Here  and 
in  other  places  He  begins  to  enumerate  the  differ- 
ent reasons  why  we  should  receive  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  to  explain  still  more  fully  His  office  work  in 
this  world : 

(1)  When  He  is  come  He  will  reprove  the  world 
of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment.    John 
16:8. 

(2)  Howbeit  when  He,  the  Spirit  of  truth  is 
come,  He  will  guide  you  into  all  truth.  John  16 :13. 

(3)  He  will  not  speak  of  himself;  but  whatso- 
ever he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak.  John  16 :13. 

(4)  He  will  shew  you  things  to  come.     John 
16 :13. 

(5)  He  shall  glorify  ME.    John  16 :14. 

425 


THIS  IS  THAT 

(6)  He  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  show  it  unto 
you.     John  16:14. 

(7)  But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I 
w4ll  send  you  from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of 
truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  He  shall 
testify  of  me.    John  15 :26. 

(8)  But    the    Comforter,    which    is    the    Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name, 
He  shall  teach  you  all  things  and  bring  all  things 
to  your  remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have  said  unto 
you.    John  14 :26. 

(9)  But  ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you.    Acts  1:8. 

Jesus'  parting  words  to  His  little  flock  after 
His  death  and  resurrection,  as  His  pierced  feet 
were  rising  from  earth  as  He  ascended  to  His 
Father,  rang  out  clear  and  plain :  "Behold  I  send 
the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you:  but  tarry 
in  Jerusalem  until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from 
on  high."  Luke  24 :49. 

True  to  His  commission,  Acts  1 :12  shows  the 
little  band  of  faithful  followers  (one  hundred  and 
twenty  in  number)  wending  their  way  to  Jerusa- 
lem, to  tarry  until  they  should  receive  the  prom- 
ised gift.  "And  when  they  were  come  in,  they 
went  up  into  an  upper  room,  where  abode  both 
Peter  and  James  and  John,  and  Andrew  and 
Philip  and  Thomas,  Bartholomew  and  Matthew, 
James  the  son  of  Alphaeus,  and  Simon  Zelotes, 
and  Judas  the  brother  of  James.  These  all  con- 
tinued with  one  accord  in  prayer  and  supplication 
with  the  women  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus, 
and  with  His  brethren.  Acts  1 :13,  14. 

PENTECOST. 

Then  just  as  the  Father,  true  to  His  word  gave 
Jesus,  His  promised  gift  to  redeem  the  world,  so 
Jesus  at  the  close  of  His  dispensation  fulfilled 
His  word,  and  bestowed  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost 

426 


WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

to  abide  with  us  forever.  "And  when  the  day  of 
Pentecost  was  fully  come  they  were  all  with  one 
accord  in  one  place;  and  suddenly  there  came  a 
sound  from  heaven  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind, 
and  it  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were  sit- 
ting. And  there  appeared  unto  them  cloven 
tongues  like  as  of  fire  and  it  sat  upon  each  of  them; 
and  they  WERE  ALL  FILLED  WITH  THE 
HOLY  GHOST,  AND  BEGAN  TO  SPEAK  IN 
OTHER  TONGUES,  AS  THE  SPIRIT  GAVE 
THEM  UTTERANCE.  Acts  2 :4. 

CAESAREA. 

The  same  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in  other 
tongues  (that  is;  languages  they  had  never 
learned),  accompanied  the  incoming  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  at  Caesarea,  for  we  read  that  while  Peter 
was  preaching  Jesus  to  them  and  telling  them  of 
His  death,  burial  and  resurrection  .  .  .  "while 
Peter  yet  spoke  these  words,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell 
on  all  of  them  which  heard  the  word.  .  .  . 
FOR  THEY  HEARD  THEM  SPEAK  WITH 
TONGUES  AND  MAGNIFY  GOD."  Acts  10: 
44-46. 

EPHESUS. 

This  same  sign  accompanied  the  incoming  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  during  Paul's  ministry  at  Ephesus, 
for  we  read :  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  while 
Apollos  was  at  Corinth,  Paul  having  passed 
through  the  upper  coasts  came  to  Ephesus:  and 
finding  certain  disciples  he  said  unto  them: 

"'Have  ye  received  the  Holy  Spirit  since  ye  be- 
lieved?' And  they  said  unto  him:  'We  have  not 
so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  Holy 
Ghost/  AND  WHEN  PAUL  HAD  LAID  HIS 
HANDS  ON  THEM,  THE  HOLY  GHOST  GAME 
UPON  THEM,  AND  THEY  SPAKE  WITH 
TONGUES  AND  PROPHESIED"  Acts  19 :l-6. 
Simon  the  sorcerer,  seeing  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  bestowed  through  the  laying  on  of  the 

427 


THIS  IS  THAT 

apostles'  hands,  was  willing  to  pay  money  for 
the  power  that  he  saw  manifested  through  the 
apostles. 

Just  as  God  the  Father  and  Jesus  Christ  His 
Son  gave  gifts  unto  the  world,  so  in  turn  the 
Holy  Spirit  bestows  His  gifts  upon  all  who  re- 
ceive him  and  yield  themselves  wholly  unto  Him. 
The  gifts  of  the  Spirit  are  found  in  1st  Corinth- 
ians 12  :8-10. 

(1)  Wisdom, 

(2)  Knowledge, 

(3)  Faith, 

(4)  Healing, 

(5)  Miracles, 

(6)  Prophecy, 

(7)  Discernment  of  Spirits, 

(8)  Divers  kinds  of  Tongues, 

(9)  Interpretation  of  Tongues; 

all  of  which  were  manifested  in  their  midst,  even 
as  we  see  them  manifested  in  our  midst  today. 

We  are  still  in  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost;  have  been  ever  since  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost; and  will  be  until  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 
He  is  still  here  to  convict  the  sinner  of  his  sin, 
for  no  man  can  come  to  the  Father,  except  the 
Spirit  draw  him.  He  is  here  to  lead  the  repent- 
ant soul  to  Jesus,  to  apply  the  blood  to  his  heart, 
to  bear  witness  with  his  spirit  that  he  is  now  a 
child  of  God,  and  has  passed  from  darkness  unto 
light,  from  bondage  unto  liberty,  from  death  unto 
life  and  to  rejoice  with  him  in  the  finished  work 
of  Calvary. 

Just  as  the  Spirit  was  with  the  sinner  to  con- 
demn him  and  convict  him  of  unrighteousness,  so 
He  is  noAV  with  the  regenerated  heart  to  lead  him 
on  in  righteousness  and  to  baptize  him  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  witness  that  the  work  of  per- 
fection has  begun.  Jesus  said :  He  who  is  with 
you  shall  be  in  you,  and  Peter  said :  "Repent  and 

428 


WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for  the  promise  is  unto 
you,  and  to  your  children ;  and  TO  ALL  THAT  ARE 
AFAR  OFF,  EVEN  AS  MANY  A8  THE  LORD 
OUR  GOD  SHALL  CALL.  Acts  2  :38,  39. 

The  blood  washed  heart  with  whom  the  Spirit  is 
bearing  witness  is  now  a  clean,  empty  temple  for 
the  third  person  of  the  Trinity  to  enter.  When  we 
seek  with  all  our  heart,  humbly,  prayerfully, 
praisefully,  He  will  come  in  to  abide,  and  seal  us 
unto  the  day  of  redemption,  giving  us  today  the 
same  Bible  evidence — speaking  in  other  tongues, 
as  the  Spirit  gives  utterance — as  He  did  in  the 
days  of  old. 

When  the  Holy  Ghost  comes  in  to  abide  He 
takes  control  of  body,  soul  and  spirit;  out  of  our 
innermost  being  there  flows  forth  rivers  of  living 
water.  Even  the  vocal  organ — the  unruly  member, 
the  tongue — He  takes  hold  of  and  controls.  Jesus 
is  made  so  real,  and  our  souls  so  overflow  with 
praise  as  the  Spirit  reveals  the  King  in  His  beauty 
that  here,  it  seems,  our  language  fails,  and  we 
cry  out :  "Where,  my  soul,  shall  I  begin  to  praise 
the  name  of  Jesus !"  Then  the  Holy  Spirit  himself 
rises  up  writhin  and  glorifies  Jesus  in  a  language 
that  we  know  not,  and  as  we  hear  Him  speaking 
for  Himself  floods  of  joy,  and  billows  of  glory 
sweep  over  our  whole  being  and  we  realize  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  praising  our  Bridegroom  with  more 
beautiful  praise  than  we  ever  could  have  thought 
of. 

Oh,  glory  to  Jesus,  for  wells  and  rivers  of  praise 
that  do  not  have  to  be  pumped  up  nor  primed,  but 
gush  forth  in  uncontrollable,  ecstatic  glory  and 
thanksgiving ! 

The  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  incoming 
of  the  Spirit  as  the  great  leader  who  is  to  guide 
us  from  earth  to  heaven ;  who  is  never  to  leave  us 

429 


THIS  IS  THAT 

until  we  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air.  As  we  yield 
ourselves  to  Him  He  leads  us  to  higher  heights 
and  deeper  depths,  and  causes  us  to  be 

"Changed  from  glory  to  glory, 
'Till  in  Heaven  we  take  our  place, 
'Till  we  cast  our  crowns  before  Him, 
Lost  in  wonder,  love  and  praise." 

Oh,  dear  one,  if  you  have  not  yet  received  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  His  fullness,  seek  Him  with  all 
your  heart,  and  when  He  comes  in  you  will  have 
the  same  Biblical  evidence  that  they  had  in  Bible 
times,  speaking  in  other  tongues  AS  THE  SPIRIT  GIVES 

UTTERANCE.  THE  LORD  HAS  NO  TWENTIETH  CENTURY 
MODE  OF  BAPTIZING  PEOPLE  IN  THE  HOLY  GHOST,  BUT 
STILL  FILLS  AND  SEALS  IN  THE  SAME  WAY  HE  DID  IN 
THE  EARLY  DAYS. 

The  latter  rain  is  falling  on  the  earth. 

"And  I  say  unto  you,  ask  and  it  shall  be  given 
unto  you,  seek  and  ye  shall  find,  knock  and  it  shall 
be  opened  unto  you.  For  every  one  that  asketh 
receiveth,  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth,  and  to  him 
that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  If  a  son  shall 
ask  bread  of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will  he 
give  him  a  stone?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish  give  him  a 
serpent?  or  if  he  shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he  offer 
him  a  scorpion?  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how 
to  give  good  gifts  to  your  children,  how  much 
more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him." 


430 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS. 

"Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you;  Seek,  and  ye  shall  find; 
Knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.  For  every  one  that 
asketh  receiveth;  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth;  and  to  him  that 
knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  If  a  son  shall  ask  bread  of  any 
of  you  that  is  a  father  will  he  give  him  a  stone?  Or,  if  he 
ask  a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give  him  a  serpent?  Or,  if  he 
shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a  scorpion?  If  ye  then, 
being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  children; 
how  much  more  shall  your  Heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him?"— Luke  11:9-13. 

FROM    AN    AFTERNOON    TALK    GIVEN    AT    THE    NATION- 
WIDE CAMP   MEETING. 

IF  THEKE  is  any  humble  little  ministry  that  the 
Lord  has  given  me,  it  has  been  mainly  that  of 
praying  for  those  seeking  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Each  member  of  the  body  should  have 
its  own  particular  ministry.  Some  are  definitely 
led  out  along  the  line  of  praying  for  the  sick,  and 
when  the  message  comes  that  someone  is  ill  and 
suffering  in  body,  there  is  that  within  the  child  of 
God  which  leaps  up  with  great  desire  to  pray  for 
the  sick  one.  Others  are  led  out  definitely  along 
the  line  of  casting  out  demons,  and  the  Spirit  rises 
up  within  them,  using  them  with  great  unction 
and  power. 

As  for  myself,  whenever  I  hear  of  someone  seek- 
ing the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  all  his 
heart,  I  feel  such  great  drawing  power  within  that 
I  can  scarcely  resist  leaping  over  all  the  others 
to  get  to  that  person 'to  pray  for  him  that  he  may 
receive.  Ofttimes  I  have  been  invited  to  go  to 
meetings  far  and  near  without  feeling  any  par- 
ticular interest  in  the  call  until  word  would  com*' 
saying : 

"O,  we  have  so  many  here  that  are  just  starving 
and  crying  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  do 
come  and  pray  for  them."  And  immediately  a 
great  urging  would  rise  within  me  to  go  and  pray 

431 


THIS  IS  THAT 

for  those  precious  seekers.  When  God  gives  us 
this  longing  to  see  seekers  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
how  much  more  does  the  Father  Himself  long  to 
pour  out  the  Spirit  on  all  those  who  wait  upon 
Him. 

My  heart  goes  out  to  all  the  dear  seekers  who 
are  tarrying  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
How  I  long  to  bring  you  a  message  from  the  Lord, 
a  message  of  encouragement  and  instruction  that 
will  help  to  lift  up  the  hands  that  hang  down  and 
strengthen  the  feeble  knees,  that  will  cause  you  to 
press  on  into  this  glorious  realm,  this  life  filled 
and  controlled  by  the  Holy  Spirit ! 

First  of  all  let  us  make  it  plain  that  God  is  on 

the  giving  hand,  and  is  more  willing 

GOD'S  TIME     to  give  than  you  are  to  receive.     Let 

is  NOW        us  remember  that  God's  time  is  now, 

not  tomorrow,  but  NOW. 

Many  people  say:  "Well,  when  God  is  ready, 
when  my  time  comes,  He  will  baptize  me  with 

the    Holy    Spirit."      Dear    ones,    the 

WAITING       Lord  has  been  ready  for  many  years; 

GOD'S  TIME     it  is  YOU  who  have  not  been  ready. 

He  is  waiting  above  you  just  now, 
longing  to  pour  into  your  soul  great  floods  of 
glory,  and  to  make  you  the  Temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  If  the  devil  can  make  you  believe  that  you 
are  waiting  for  the  Lord  to  fill  you,  if  he  can  per- 
suade you  to  put  off  definite  seeking  day  after 
dav,  dav  after  dav.  till  Jesus  comes  and  vou  will 

•7  ™  w  tf  7  »• 

be  found  still  waiting  unfilled  Avith  the  Spirit,  he 
Avill  have  fulfilled  his  purpose. 

O,  dear  heart,  stop  forever  making  this  excuse. 
If  you  are  not  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  today  it 
will  be  your  own  fault,  not  the  fault  of  the  Lord, 
for  He  is  more  willing  to  give  than  you  are  to 
receive. 

Others  say,  "I  would  like  to  receive  the  Holj 
Spirit,  but  I  am  afraid  I  am  not  ready."  Well, 

432 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 

beloved,  how  long  would  it  take  God 
NOT  READY  to  get  you  ready?  Just  one  moment, 
as  long  as  it  takes  you  to  get  under 
the  blood.  I  have  seen  sinners  come  to  the  altars 
in  our  tent  just  laden  with  sin  and  iniquity.  I 
have  seen  them  fall  on  their  knees,  and  throwing 
up  their  hands,  cry  aloud  to  God  for  mercy ;  I 
have  seen  the  light  breaking  over  their  faces  and 
the  glory  sweeping  over  their  souls  as  they  passed 
from  death  unto  life,  and  their  sins  were  washed 
away.  Inside  of  fifteen  minutes  from  the  time 
that  they  came  to  the  altar  seeking  salvation  I 
have  seen  such  penitents  fall  prostrate  under  the 
power  of  the  Spirit,  receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
burst  forth  speaking  in  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit 
gave  utterance.  I  have  watched  such  lives  through 
the  following  years,  and  know  that  they  are  stand- 
ing today  declaring  the  whole  Word  of  God,  and 
living  a  holy  life  before  Him.  God  has  no  favor- 
ites, He  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  we  are  all  on 
one  common  footing  before  Him.  What  He  has 
done  for  others  He  will  do  for  you. 

If  you  feel  that  you  are  unworthy,  that  is  a 
splendid,  humble  place  from  which  to  start  seek- 
ing. Come  empty  and  be  filled.  Just  tell  Father 
all  about  it;  ask  Him  to  cover  you  with  the  pre- 
cious blood  afresh  today,  and  under  the  covering 
of  that  blood  ask  Him  to  fill  you  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  He  may  lead  and  direct  and  fill  your 
whole  life  for  His  honor  and  glory. 

Someone  else  says:     "Well,  I  have  been  seeking 
for  years,  and  I  have  never  received."     But  O,  a^ 
I  look  over  the  long  altar  benches 
BEEN  SEEKING     filled    with    seekers    in    our    taber- 
FOR  YEARS.        nacle,   I   find   so  many  that  think 
they  are  seeking  who  are  in  real- 
ity just  sitting  down  at  ease,  resting  theii^  heads 
in  their  hands,  elbow  propped  on  the  altar  bench, 
hardly  open  their  mouths  to  praise  God.     No  des- 

433 


THIS  IS  THAT 

perate  earnestness  or  hundred-fold  praises,  and 
they  call  that  seeking.  Look  up — all  good  gifts 
come  from  above. 

I  have  in  my  hand  a  glass,  an  empty  glass.  In 
my  other  hand  I  have  a  pitcher,  filled  with  cool, 
refreshing  water.  Let  us  say  you 
THE  PITCHER  are  the  glass,  and  that  Jesus  is 
AND  holding  the  pitcher  filled  with 

THE  GLASS  water,  which  is  a  type  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  We  want  to  fill  the  tumbler 
with  water,  but  it  is  turned  bottom  side  up,  the 
mouth  is  down,  just  as  many  of  you  seekers  put 
your  heads  down  instead  of  up.  We  can  pour  all 
jthe  water  we  like  on  the  bottom  of  the  tumbler, 
'but  it  will  never  be  filled.  It  will  come  out  from 
under  the  downpour  just  as  empty  as  ever,  won- 
dering why  all  the  other  tumblers  were  filled  and 
it  left  empty. 

But  now  let  us  tarn  the  tumbler  right  side  up. 
Pour  the  water  out  from  the  pitcher  and  the  glass 
begins  to  fill  and  fill  and  fill,  till  the  water  is 
overflowing  on  the  dry  ground  all  about  it.  Dear 
ones,  do  just  like  this  glass,  look  up.  Lift  your 
face  up  toward  the  heavens,  lift  up  your  hands, 
begin  to  praise  God  with  all  your  soul,  and  He 
will  fill  you  to  overflowing. 

Another  seeker  says,  "Ah!  but  I  fear  I  will  not 

run  over  or  be  demonstrative;  I  am  deep,  I  am 

such  a  quiet  sort  of  a  person;  I  believe 

PRAISING      in    praising    the    Lord    in    my    heart." 

IN  HEART     Dear  ones,  there  is  not  one  of  you  so 

ONLY  deep  but  what  God  can  fill  you.  You 
may  feel  that  you  are  big  and  deep, 
but  God  is  bigger  and  deeper  than  you,  and  when 
He  fills  you  just  so  full,  you  have  to  run  over  and 
speak,  as  the  Spirit  gives  utterance,  the  glorious 
praises  of  Jesus. 

Take,  for  instance,  this  pitcher  filled  with  water : 
it  is  larger  than  the  glass — the  tumbler  cannot 

434 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 

possibly  contain  all  the  water  held  in  the  pitcher 
— it  must  overflow.  Just  so,  God  is  bigger  than 
you,  and  when  He  pours  the  Holy  Spirit  into  your 
heart  you  must  overflow  with  His  praises. 

Now  we  will  suppose  that  we  have  a  glass  which 

was  marred  in  the  making.     There  is  no  way  of 

filling  it,  but  the  glass  with  the  wide 

OPEN  TO  GOD     open    mouth    can    be    readily    filled. 

Then  we  will  take  a  bottle  with  a 

small  mouth;  it  takes  a  great  deal  longer  to  fill 

than   it  does  the  tumbler.     Seekers,   "Open  your 

mouth  unde  and  I  will  fill  it,  saith  the  Lord." 

We  open  our  mouths  wide  as  for  the  latter  rain. 
O,  Hallelujah!  Open  up  every  avenue  of  your 
being,  every  channel  of  your  soul,  open  your  lips 
in  praise,  "be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors, 
and  the  King  of  Glory  shall  come  in." 

ASK,  AND  YE  SHALL  RECEIVE. 

Ask,  and  you  shall  receive.  Here  is  a  definite 
promise  from  God.  If  you  ask,  He  has  promised 
that  it  shall  be  given  you.  Remember  the  widow 
who  went  to  the  unjust  judge;  at  first  he  refused 
her,  but  morning  after  morning  we  can  picture 
her  putting  on  her  hat,  walking  down  the  road  to 
the  judge's  office,  knocking  on  the  door,  and  wait- 
ing her  turn  till  she  could  cry  out:  "O,  Judge, 
please  avenge  me  of  mine  adversary."  When  she 
was  refused  she  was  still  undaunted,  and  the  next 
morning  found  her  pressing  and  pinning  on  her 
hat,  walking  down  the  road  and  up  to  the  judge's 
office,  waiting  her  turn  again,  and  saying:  "O, 
Judge,  please  avenge  me  of  mine  adversary." 

Refused  again,  she  was  still  undismayed,  and 
the  next  morning  found  her  again  in  the  ante- 
room. No  doubt  the  judge  said :  "Is  that  woman 
here  again  to  weary  me?"  But  again  she  pled 
her  cause. 

Oh,  I  believe  that  when  the  unjust  judge  granted 

435 


THIS  IS  THAT 

her  request,  he  seized  his  pen  and  paper  quickly, 
and  wrote  off  the  order,  and  said :  "Here,  woman, 
take  it  quick,  and  get  out  of  my  sight.  You 
weary  me  with  your  oft  coming." 

Ah!  dear  ones,  if  the  unjust  judge  heard  the 
widow's  plea,  how  much  more  will  our  just  Father 
hear  your  cry.  If  you  ask,  you  shall  surely  receive, 
yes,  and  receive  quickly,  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye 
think  not  he  shall  come  suddenly  and  fill  His 
temple. 

SEEK,   AND   YE   SHALL   FIND. 

Here  is  another  definite  promise.  Do  you  re- 
member the  woman  who  swept  the  floor,  lighted  a 
candle  and  swept  on  until  she  found  her  lost 
money?  Oh,  dear  hearts,  be  willing  to  rise  early 
in  the  morning  to  seek,  and  to  seek  by  the  lighted 
candle  if  necessary.  Seek  till  you  forget  your 
meals,  till  you  forget  your  bed;  forget  all  else  till 
His  gift  is  received. 

KNOCK,  AND  IT  SHALL  BE  OPENED   UNTO  YOU. 

If  the  door  has  not  been  opened  unto  you,  the 
fault  is  not  with  God.  Perhaps  there  has  been 
something  amiss  with  your  knocking.  Do  you  re- 
member the  man  who  went  to  knock  at  his  friend's 
door  for  bread,  and  he  said:  "Friend,  rise  and 
give  me  three  loaves;  a  friend  of  mine  in  his  jour- 
ney has  come,  and  I  have  nothing  to  set  before 
him"? 

But  the  man  from  within  answered  him : 
"Trouble  me  not.  My  children  are  with  me  in 
bed;  the  hour  is  late." 

Perhaps  the  enemy  has  whispered  to  you :  "Come 
now,  it  is  eleven  o'clock;  time  you  were  in  bed. 
You  know  you  have  to  get  up  early  in  the 
morning." 

How  often  have  you  reasoned  like  this,  and 
gone  to  your  rest,  but  not  so  with  the  man  who 
knocked  in  the  Bible.  "Knock,  and  it  shall  be 

436 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 

opened  unto  you."  Oh,  I  love  these  definite  assur- 
ances of  our  God.  "Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  but  not  one  jot  or  tittle  shall  fail  until  all 
be  fulfilled." 

"Rap !  Rap !  Bap !"  I  can  hear  that  man  knock- 
ing at  the  door. 

"Trouble  me  not,"  says  the  voice  from  above. 

"Kap!  Kap!  Rap!"  "O,  friend,  arise  and  give 
me  three  loaves." 

"The  hour  is  late;  surely  you  can  come  back 
another  time  for  bread." 

"Rap !  Rap !  Rap !"  "A  friend  in  his  journey  has 
come  and  I  have  nothing  to  set  before  him.  Rise 
and  give  me  the  three  loaves." 

And  so  the  man  knocked  and  knocked,  and 
rapped,  and  called  and  pled,  till  at  last  the  man 
from  above  swung  his  feet  out  of  bed,  lighted  his 
candle,  went  to  the  pantry  shelf,  jerked  out  three 
loaves  of  bread,  and  thrust  them  into  his  neigh- 
bor's hand,  and  said:  "Here,  man,  here  are  your 
three  loaves — not  because  you  are  my  friend,  but 
because  of  your  importunity.  Take  them,  and  go 
your  way." 

How  much  more  then  shall  Jesus,  who  is  our 
friend,  the  friend  above  every  other  friend,  rise 
and  give  us  the  blessed,  promised  Holy  Ghost. 

Do  you  feel  ashamed  before  God  this  afternoon 
for  the  feeble  pretense  of  your  asking  and  seeking 
and  knocking?  Rise,  beloved,  and 
WITH  YOUR  seek  Him  with  all  your  heart,  for 
WHOLE  HEART  here  is  a  promise  that  you  can 
stand  on  flat-footed,  without  waver- 
ing or  doubting.  "In  the  day  that  ye  seek  Me  with 
your  whole  heart,  I  will  be  found  of  you"  If  you 
seek  Him,  then  with  your  W-H-O-L-E  H-E-A-R-T, 
your  whole  mind  and  strength  and  voice,  He  shall 
be  found  of  you,  for  "Every  one  that  asketh  re- 
ceiveth." 

437 


THIS  IS  THAT 

We  have  heard  many  people  say,  "Oh,  Sister,  I 

fear  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  for  me."     Now,  dear 

ones,  look  at  God's  Word.     Can 

THE  HOLY  SPIRIT    you   not   believe   Him?     "Every 

NOT  FOR  ME  one  that  asketh  receiveth."  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons.  You 
are  just  as  dear  to  Him  as  any  other  child. 
"Every  one."  Yes,  that  means  you,  dear,  discour- 
aged soul.  "He  thai  seeketh  findeth,  and  to  him 
that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened." 

Then  someone  says,  "Yes,  I  would  like  to  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Spirit,  but  I  am  so  afraid  when  the 
power  of  God  falls  upon  me  that  it 
AFRAID  OF  A  might  be  my  own  mind,  or  the 
COUNTERFEIT  flesh,  or  the  devil."  "I  am  so  afraid 
that  I  might  receive  something  that 
was  counterfeit  and  not  of  God."  Here  is  a  prom- 
ise for  you,  dear,  timid  soul.  "If  a  son  ask  bread 
of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will  ye  give  him  a 
stone,  or  if  he  ask  fish,  will  he  for  fish  give  a  ser- 
pent, or  if  he  ask  an  egg  will  he  offer  him  a  scor- 
pion ?"  In  the  Eastern  countries  the  loaves  of 
brown  bread  resembled  very  much  a  stone.  The 
eel,  which  is  a  member  of  the  fish  family,  re- 
sembles very  much  the  serpent.  The  egg  of  the 
scorpion  resembles  very  much  the  eggs  which  are 
used  in  domestic  cooking.  Now,  we  do  not  deny 
that  there  is  the  counterfeit.  The  devil  is  always 
trying  to  counterfeit  God's  work.  We  do  not  deny 
that  there  is  the  stone,  the  serpent  and  the  scor- 
pion. But  we  do  deny  that  our  Heavenly  Father 
gives  stones,  scorpions  and  serpents  to  His  blood- 
washed  children. 

Oh,  how  the  Father's  heart  must  be  grieved 
when  you  go  to  Him  under  the  precious  blood  and 
say,  "I  would  like  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  am  so 
afraid  that  if  I  get  down  on  my  knees  here  at  the 
altar  with  these  Pentecostal  folks  and  ask  for  it, 
You  might  give  me  a  serpent,  or  a  demon,  or  a 

438 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 

counterfeit  spirit."  Are  you,  then,  afraid  of  your 
Father?  If  this  is  the  kind  of  father  you  have,  a 
father  that  you  are  afraid  to  trust,  a  father  who 
would  give  you  a  serpent  instead  of  a  fish,  a  scor- 
pion instead  of  an  egg,  you  had  better  change  your 
father  and  accept  God  as  your  parent?  for  He  gives 
good  gifts  to  His  children. 

If  you  had  ten  dollars  in  your  hand,  and  you 
found  that  one  of  them  was  a  counterfeit,  would 
you  throw  away  the  other  nine  dollars  and  say  you 
were  never  going  to  handle  another  dollar  again? 
Why,  of  course,  you  would  not.  If  you  happen  to 
have  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  have  seen  some- 
one who  was  not  genuine,  will  you  then  discounte- 
nance all  that  God  has  done,  and  say,  because  this 
one  had  a  Avrong  spirit,  which  had  never  been  re- 
ceived from  God,  that  you  would  henceforth  cease 
seeking  for  the  genuine  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost? 

Just  suppose  you  invited  me  to  come  to  your 
house  for  dinner.    You  had  read  my  writings,  you 
had   heard   people    speak    of    me, 
RECOGNIZE  THE     and  now  you  were  writing  me  a 
HOLY  SPIRIT        letter   of   invitation    to   dine   and 
spend  a  few  days  of  rest.     I  ac- 
cept  your   invitation   and   take   my   suitcase   and 
travel  many  miles  to  get  to  your  home.     I  rap  at 
your  door  and  you  open  to  me,  and  ask : 

"Who  are  you?"  I  reply,  "Why,  I  am  Sister 
McPherson.  You  invited  me  to  come  to  spend  a 
few  days  with  you  for  rest  and  quiet;"  and  you 
look  at  me  with  a  doubtful  air,  and  say : 

"Well,  you  do  not  look  just  as  I  thought  Sister 
McPherson  would.  I  thought  she  would  be  a  much 
older  woman.  I  had  pictured  her  differently.  You 
are  not  dressed  as  I  thought  Sister  McPherson 
would  be  dressed.  Your  voice  is  not  just  the  same 
as  I  imagined  it  would  be,  and  I  fear  you  are  not 
the  woman  you  claim  to  be." 

439 


THIS  IS  THAT 

I  reply:  "Why,  yes,  dear  sister,  I  really  am  the 
one  you  have  invited  here."  But  you  still  hold 
the  door  almost  closed,  and  peer  out  through  the 
aperture  and  say: 

"No,  I  really  cannot  let  you  in;  I  am  so  fear- 
ful. I  am  afraid  that  you  are  not  the  one  that  I 
invited  here.  Perhaps  I  just  imagine  you  are. 
Perhaps  it  might  be  myself,  that  just  thinks  it  is 
you,  or  you  may  be  the  devil,  himself,  for  all  I 
know." 

How  grieved,  and  hurt,  and  surprised  I  should 
be.  I  should  probably  take  up  my  suitcase,  walk 
slowly  down  the  steps,  and  the  next  time  an  invi- 
tation came  to  go  to  your  house,  I  should  be  just 
a  little  hesitant,  perhaps,  in  moving  in  that 
direction. 

Now,  how  many  of  you  have  done  just  this  with 
the  Holy  Spirit?  You  have  read  about  Him.  You 
have  heard  about  Him  from  some  who  have  de- 
scribed His  glorious  presence  to  you,  and  you  have 
invited  Him  to  come  into  your  house  and  make 
you  His  Temple.  But  when  He  came  to  your 
door,  when  you  began  to  tremble  under  His  power, 
you  drew  back  and  said: 

"Oh,  perhaps  this  is  only  myself/'  When  He 
began  to  knock  gently  at  the  door  of  your  lips,  to 
stammer  with  His  power,  or  you  were  prostrated 
to  the  floor,  you  straightway  permitted  the  devil 
to  whisper  doubts  into  your  ear,  and  said :  "Why, 
this  is  not  just  as  I  imagined  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
to  come.  I  thought  He  would  come  as  a  still, 
small  dove,  or  vice  versa,,  I  expected  Him  to  come 
as  a  mighty,  rushing  wind.  Perhaps  this  is  not  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Perhaps  this  is  the  devil,  himself." 
Oh,  you  grieve  and  wound  the  dear  Holy  Spirit, 
and  He  spreads  his  pinions  and  passes  on  to  others 
kneeling  beside  you,  and  fills  them  instead,  and 
you  wonder  why  they  are  filled  and  you  are  left 
unfilled. 

440 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 

So  many  people  I  find  have  got  it  all  fixed  up 

in  their  minds  just  how  the  Holy  Spirit  is  going 

to  come  to  them.     Some  feel  that  He 

DO  NOT  is  to  come  to  them  as  a  still,  small 
DOUBT  HIM  dove,  in  a  gentle  way  as  they  sit  in 
their  seats,  or  as  they  kneel  in  a  dig- 
nified manner  at  the  altar.  To  such  He  usually 
comes  as  a  mighty,  rushing  wind,  slaying  them 
under  the  power  and  giving  mighty  manifestations. 
Others  have  it  all  figured  out  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  to  come  to  them  as  a  great  dynamic,  explosive 
power,  accompanied  with  a  mighty,  rushing  wind 
and  tongues  of  flame  and  great  manifestations. 
To  these  He  sometimes  comes  as  the  still,  small 
dove,  and  quietly  fills  them,  speaking  through 
them  in  other  tongues  softly  and  tenderly,  the 
glorious  praises  of  Jesus  and  the  message  of  His 
coming.  But  in  whatsoever  form  He  comes,  do 
not  doubt  Him.  You  have  invited  Him  to  come, 
now  just  receive  Him. 

When  you  come  to  the  altar,  come  determined 

to  praise  God.     Come  not  to  seek,  but  to  receive. 

Do  not  look  miles  and  miles 

ENTER  THROUGH  THE     away  for  the  Holy  Ghost  to 

GATES  OF  PRAISE  come  to  you,  for  He  is  right 
near  you.  Praise  and  glorify 

the  name  of  Jesus  with  ALL  your  heart,  and  He 
will  pour  His  Spirit  upon  you. 

Some  say:    "Well,  I  am  not  going  to  praise  the 

Lord  when  I  do  not  feel  like  it,    I  do  not  want  to 

put  anything  on."      I   do   not 

i  DO  NOT  FEJJL  believe  there  is  a  person  in 
LIKE  PRAISING  HIM  the  world  that  dislikes  seeing 
anybody  put  anything  on  more 
than  I  do  myself,  but  bless  the  Lord,  there  is  one 
thing  that  God's  Wrord  authorizes  us  to  put  on, 
and  that  is  to  put  on  praise  as  a  garment.  "Well, 
but,"  you  say,  "I  cannot  praise  Him  unless  I  feel 
like  it." 

441 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Is  that  the  way  your  spiritual  life  is  ruled,  by 
feeling?  Praise  Him  because  He  is  worthy;  be- 
cause He  has  washed  your  sins  away.  Praise  Him 
because  he  deserves  all  the  praise  in  Heaven  and 
in  earth  forever  and  forever,  and  you  soon  will  feel 
like  praising  Him.  Bless  His  Holy  Name!  Do 
not  attempt  to  go  by  feeling.  Isaac  Avas  the  only 
man  in  the  Bible  that  went  by  feeling.  Just  see 
how  much  he  was  deceived.  He  got  hold  of  the 
wrong  son  through  feeling  the  hairy  covering  that 
was  upon  his  son's  arm.  Do  not  go  by  feeling,  but 
go  by  faith. 

Oftentimes  when  our  altars  are  filled  with 
hungry  seekers,  I  stand  on  the  platform  for  a  mo- 
ment looking  over  the  people,  and  wondering  to 
myself,  "Where  shall  I  begin?  Whom  shall  I  pray 
for  first  ?"  And  passing  by  the  ones  who  are  sit- 
ting down  resting  their  heads  on  their  hands,  in  a 
half-hearted  way,  I  look  for  that  one  who  acts  as 
though  he  were  desperately  in  earnest,  who,  with 
uplifted  hands  and  face,  is  praising  God  from  the 
depths  of  His  heart  and  seeking  with  all  his  might ; 
and  we  workers  say  to  ourselves :  "There  is  some- 
one who  is  desperately  in  earnest.  Let  us  go  and 
pray  for  that  one."  And  do  you  know,  I  believe 
that  is  almost  the  way  the  Lord  looks  down  upon 
it.  And  He  stands  there  this  afternoon  at  this 
altar,  ready  and  willing  to  pour  out  His  Spirit; 
He  is  looking  for  someone  who  is  seeking  with  all 
his  heart.  This  one  He  will  surely  fill.  Praise 
the  Lord  until  you  feel  his  power  taking  control  of 
you,  until  your  lips  begin  to  move  and  tremble 
under  the  power,  then  stop  talking  in  your  own 
language  and  let  the  Holy  Spirit  do  the  rest.  You 
have  nothing  to  do  at  all  but  yield  and  He  will 
speak.  i-:'<f 

In   my  experience  of  seeking  the  Holy   Spirit, 
there  was  day  after  day  when  He  came  upon  me 


442 


A  PLAIN  TALK  TO  SEEKERS 

with    stammering    lips    before 
WHEN  MAN  CEASES     He    spoke    in    other    tongues. 
GOD  BEGINS  Since  I  have  received  the  bap- 

tism, I  can  see  where  I  hin- 
dered Him  from  speaking  in  other  tongues  a  great 
deal.  Every  time  that  my  lips  would  begin  to 
tremble  and  my  chin  to  quiver,  I  would  begin  to 
praise  the  Lord  with  redoubled  force,  feeling  that 
if  ever  I  praised  Him  I  must  praise  Him  then,  or 
He  would  leave  me.  This  was  perhaps  a  mistake, 
as  two  could  not  talk  at  once,  and  while  I  was 
doing  the  talking  the  Holy  Spirit  could  not  speak. 
We  are  all  too  courteous  to  interrupt  another  while 
he  is  speaking,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  just  as  cour- 
teous as  we  are.  When  I  got  all  through  talking 
and  just  yielded  my  lips,  my  tongue,  and  all  my 
vocal  organs,  the  stammering  increased,  and  the 
first  thing  I  knew  my  chin  began  to  quiver  and 
jerk  sideways  and  up  and  down,  my  tongue  be- 
gan to  move  about  in  my  mouth,  and  as  I  gave 
Him  my  voice  He  began  to  make  strange  sounds, 
syllables,  words,  fragments  of  sentences,  and  then 
like  a  mighty  torrent  there  flowed  forth  from  my 
innermost  being  rivers  of  praise,  as  the  Spirit 
gave  utterance  in  other  tongues.  Praise  Him, 
dear  ones,  until  you  feel  His  power  upon  your  lips, 
your  vocal  organs,  then  as  you  have  talked  all 
your  life,  be  still  and  let  the  Holy  Spirit  do  the 
talking.  He  can  praise  Jesus  in  so  much  more  ex- 
cellent a  way  than  you  can.  He  has  glorious 
words  that  our  human  minds  can  never  fathom. 
Rivers  of  praise  will  flow  forth,  rising  and  rising 
until  they  ascend  to  the  Father's  throne  in  glorious 
tributes  of  thanksgiving. 


443 


THE  LATTER  RAIN. 

Falling,  falling,  'tis  the  latter  rain. 
Coming,  coming,  Pentecost  again. 
Hasten,  hasten,  'tis  the  day  of  power. 
Come  beneath  the  Holy  Spirit's  shower. 

WHAT  a  glorious  privilege  it  is  to  live  in 
these  last  days,  the  days  of  the  latter  rain. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  being  poured  out  in  a 
wonderful  manner.    Showers  of  blessing  are  falling. 
Times  of  refreshing  have  come  from  the  presence  of 
the    Lord — refreshing    for    the    dry    and    parched 
ground,  the  barren  fields,  the  trees,  the  grain,  every- 
thing and  everybody,  in  fact,  that  comes  beneath  its 
downpour. 

There  is  no  excuse  or  reason  for  any  hungry, 
blood-washed  child  of  God  to  remain  in  a  barren, 
fruitless  condition,  pining  for  the  Holy  Spirit.  He 
is  being  outpoured  as  the  rain  from  heaven,  and 
is  willing  to  baptize,  fill,  and  come  in  to  abide 
wherever  an  empty,  hungry,  upturned  vessel  is 
found.  Turn  your  cup  right  side  up,  and  if  you 
are  out  in  the  open  where  the  rain  is  falling,  He 
will  surely  fill  you  now. 

The  Lord  is  no  respecter  of  persons.  Old  and 
young,  black  or  white,  yellow  or  brown,  the  ser- 
vant and  the  maid,  irrespective  of  race  or  creed, 
are  invited  to  ask,  that  they  may  receive.  "Every 
one  that  asketh  rcceiveth;  and  he  that  seeketh 
findeth." 

Latter  Rain  for  the  asking.  The  precious  Holy 
Spirit  for  the  seeking.  Hallelujah ! 

As  Peter  stood,  filled  to  overflowing  under  the 
downpour  of  the  moderate  former  rain — lifting 
up  his  eyes  and,  with  the  "clairvoyance  of  the 
Spirit,  looking  away  ahead  and  seeing  the  latter 
rain  falling  upon  our  generation,  he  cried  aloud: 

444 


THE  LATTER  RAIN 

"This  is  that  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet 
Joel/-  and  declared  that  "the  promise  is  unto  you, 
and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call." 

Ask  ye  of  the  Lord  rain  in  the  time  of  the  latter 
rain;  so  the  Lord  shall  make  bright  clouds,  and 
give  them  showers  of  rain,  to  every  one  grass  in 
the  field.  Poor,  drooping,  struggling  soul,  thirst- 
ing and  wilting  in  your  spirit,  look  up — what  you 
need  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  His  incoming  is  as  nec- 
essary to  your  spiritual  growth  and  health,  as  is 
rain  to  the  grass  and  flowers  of  the  field.  The 
Spirit  is  being  outpoured  upon  all  who  come 
beneath  His  doAvnpour.  If  you  are  not  filled  it 
is  because  you  are  under  cover  of  some  sort,  or 
else  your  cup  is  wrong  side  up  or  filled  with  some- 
thing else. 

If  you  are  in  a  house  of  theology,  forms,  cere- 
monies, preconceived  ideas  or  teachings,  the  roof 
is  too  thick;  it  is  rain  proof;  you  will  never  be 
filled  in  that  house.  Open  the  door,  poor  thirsty 
soul,  and  come  out  into  the  freedom  of  the  big 
outdoors  of  God's  fullness.  Can't  you  hear  the 
patter  of  the  rain  upon  the  roof?  Can  you  not  see 
it  beating  against  your  window-panes?  Rise  up 
from  your  seats  and  pews  of  prejudice  and  sloth- 
fulness,  and  get  out  into  the  open  where  the  rain 
is  falling.  Do  not  stop  to  put  up  your  umbrella 
over  your  head  either,  but  just  lift  up  your  hands 
in,  praise,  to  heaven ;  lift  up  your  face  to  the  fall- 
ing of  this  blessed  latter  rain;  lift  up  your  voice 
aloud  in  adoration  and  glorifying  the  Lord;  lift 
up  the  everlasting  doors;  open  wide  the  flood- 
gates of  praise,  and  let  Him  fill  you. 

O  what  you  have  been  missing  all  this  time! 
What  an  incomparable  loss!  Because  you  have 
been  taking  shelter  beneath  the  Avails  of  doubt- 
ings  and  questions,  instead  of  taking  out  God's 
Word,  and  searching  whether  these  things  be  so. 

445 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Instead  of  asking  and  receiving,  you  have  been 
slowly  withering  and  drying  up  spiritually. 

"It  shall  come  to  pass,  in  the  last  days,  saith 
God,  that  I  will  pour  out  of  My  Spirit  upon  all 
flesh.  Be  glad,  then,  ye  children  of  Zion,  and 
rejoice,  for  He  hath  given  you  the  former  rain 
moderately,  and  He  will  cause  to  come  down  for 
you  the  rain,  both  the  former  and  the  latter  rain 
in  the  first  month."  Glory  to  Jesus!  Dear  ones, 
we  are  in  these  last  days.  The  latter  rain,  which 
is  falling  upon  the  earth  today,  is  just  as  much  a 
fulfillment  of  Bible  prophecy,  and  a  sign  of  the 
soon  coming  of  Jesus,  as  the  world  war,  the 
plagues  and  the  pestilences  now  ravaging  our 
nations. 

If  you  have  not  yet  received  your  portion,  if 
your  cup  has  not  yet  been  filled  to  overflowing, 
do  not  blame  God,  do  not  blame  your  pastor,  do 
not  say:  "Perhaps  God's  time  has  not  yet  come." 
God's  time  is  always  now.  There  is  no  one  to 
blame  but  yourself.  Look  up,  and  be  sure  there 
is  no  roof  over  your  head,  no  umbrella  of  doubts 
or  unbelief  or  criticism.  Be  sure  you  are  empty 
and  your  cup  right  side  up.  Lift  up  your  whole 
being  in  praises  to  the  King.  Ask  rain  in  the  time 
of  the  latter  rain,  and  you  will  be  filled  to  over- 
flowing. 

When  the  Holy  Spirit  has  filled  you,  and  taken 
up  His  abode,  you  will  speak  with  other  tongues 
and  magnify  God  today,  just  as  in  the  days  of  the 
former  rain.  The  Lord  did  not  have  one  way  of 
filling  people  and  manifesting  that  filling  in  Bible 
days,  and  another  way  today.  No !  this  is  the 
same  kind  of  rain,  the  same  shower  of  refresh- 
ing, the  same  Holy  Spirit.  The  Lord  has  not  in- 
vented a  twentieth  century  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  but  still  pours  out  His  Spirit  without  meas- 
ure, in  the  Bible  way,  with  Bible  evidence,  as  in 
Acts  2:4.  "This  old-time  religion  is  good  enough 

446 


THE  LATTER  RAIN 

for  me" — you  have  been  singing  that,  but  do  you 
believe  it?  Then  get  out  into  freedom,  and  be 
filled  with  the  Spirit. 

Stop  complaining  that  the  rain  is  not  falling 
today  as  it  was  ten  years  ago — it  is  because  you 
have  gotten  under  some  rain-proof  shelter  of  care- 
lessness,  or  lack  of  prayer  and  confidence.  It  is 
falling  today,  dear  ones.  Do  not  be  satisfied  with 
dried-up,  stale  pastures.  See!  The  pastures  of 
the  wilderness  do  spring,  for  the  tree  beareth  her 
fruit,  the  fig  tree  and  the  vine  do  yield  their 
strength.  Ask,  and  ye  shall  receive.  Every  one 
that  asketh  receiveth! 

"And  you'll  get  your  portion  yet,  praise  the  Lord; 

In  His  storehouse  there  is  plenty, 

More  than  enough  for  the  hundred  and  twenty, 
And  you'll  get  your  portion  yet,  praise  the  Lord." 


447 


SHEPHERDS,  "FALSE  AND   TRUE" 

"I  will  feed  them  in  a  good  pasture,  and  upon  the  high 
mountains  of  Israel  shall  their  fold  be;  there  shall  they  lie 
in  a  good  fold,  and  in  a  fat  pasture  shall  they  feed.  I  will 
feed  my  flock,  and  I  will  cause  them  to  lie  down,  saith  the 
Lord."— Ezekiel  34:14,  15. 

THROUGHOUT  the  entire  word  of  God  there  is 
not  a  more  beautiful  picture  presented  to  the 
reader  than  that  of  the  good  Shepherd  caring 
for  and  feeding  His  sheep.  He  has  always  been  the 
good  Shepherd;  and  as  we,  His  sheep,  get  to 
know  Him  and  His  voice,  we  cannot  turn  a  page 
of  the  Bible  without  seeing  Him  as  the  tender 
Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  leading,  guiding,  feeding, 
seeking,  chastising,  healing  the  sheep  of  His  fold. 

From  the  day  that  this  Shepherd  first  led  His 
sheep  to  pasture  in  the  fruitful  garden  of  Eden, 
he  has  been  feeding  and  pasturing  richly  all  who 
followed  Him  closely. 

From  the  day  that  sin  entered  that  first  pasture 
field  and  the  good  Shepherd  walked  amongst  the 
trees  of  the  garden  calling: 

"WHERE  ART  THOU?"  He  has  been  calling 
and  seeking  wandering  sheep.  As  the  pages  turn 
before  us  we  see  Him  walking,  leading  His  sheep 
through  each  experience.  We  hear  His  stately 
steppings  as  He  leads  His  flock  from  Egyptian 
bondage  to  Canaan's  land.  His  hand  is  revealed 
as  He  feeds  them  in  the  wilderness,  His  voice 
echoes  from  every  page,  reproving,  comforting, 
correcting,  encouraging.  We  hear  His  voice  speak- 
ing from  the  mount  of  Sinai,  we  hear  the  voice  of 
the  good  Shepherd  speaking  from  Calvary's  hill 
as  "the  good  Shepherd  giveth  His  life  for  the 
sheep."  We  hear  His  voice  today,  wooing,  calling, 
interceding,  and  soon,  yes,  very  soon,  we  hope  to 

448 


SHEPHERDS  "FALSE  AND  TRUE" 

hear  that  dear,  beloved  voice  calling  to  His  sheep 
to  come  up  higher  to  the  eternal  fold  He  has 
gone  to  prepare  for  us.  Hallelujah ! 

The  good  Shepherd  has  prepared  a  wonderful 
pasture  field  for  His  sheep,  a  pasture  so  great  and 
wide  that  its  supply  is  inexhaustible  and  its 
boundaries  have  never  been  reached.  He  maketh 
the  pastures  of  the  wilderness  to  spring,  and  the 
desert  to  blossom  ,as  a  rose.  The  green  grass  and 
the  clover  have  not  grown  stale,  nor  have  they 
withered  away;  the  clear,  crystal  streams  of  water 
still  flow  direct  from  the  throne  of  God,  fresh  and 
sparkling  as  ever.  His  pasture  fields  afford  full 
salvation  from  all  sin,  deliverance  from  the  raven-, 
ous  beasts  of  prey,  holiness  without  which  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord,  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  Bible  way,  with  the  evidence  of  speak- 
ing in  other  tongues,  according  to  Acts  2 :4.  Even 
this  is  not  the  end  of  the  richness  of  His  pasture, 
for  as  His  sheep  press  on,  the  land  of  Canaan 
lies ;  before  flowing  Avith  milk  and  honey.  There 
are  the  fruits  and  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  healing 
for  the  body — yes,  the  human  mind  and  pen  fail 
to  describe  the  glories  that  He  hath  prepared  and 
laid  up  for  them  that  love  Him  and  will  follow 
where  He  leadeth. 

In  the  employ  of  the  great  and  good  Shepherd 
are  many  under  shepherds,  shepherds  false,  and 
shepherds  true,  shepherds  who  have  volunteered 
to  feed  the  sheep  through  ulterior  motives  and 
hope  for  earthly  gain,  and  shepherds  who  have  just 
for  pure  love  of  the  good  Shepherd  and  His  sheep, 
left  all  to  do  the  bidding  of  Him  who  said : 

"Lovcst  thou  Me?  then  feed  My  sheep/' 

The  TRUE  under  shepherd  leads  forth  his  flock 
into  pastures  ever  new.  He  declares  that  Jesus  is 
"the  same  yesterday,  today  and  forever."  He 
preaches  that  the  Lord  still  saves  His  people  from 
all  sin,  fills  them  with  the  blessed  Holy  Spirit, 

449 


THIS  IS  THAT 

speaks  through  them  in  tongues,  bestows  the  gifts 
and  graces  of  the  Spirit,  and  heals  the  sick  in 
answer  to  prayer.  He  says : 

"Is  any  sick  among  you,  let  him  call  for  the 
elders  of  the  church;  let  them  lay  hands  upon  him, 
anoint  him  with  oil,  and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him 
up."  He  urges  his  sheep  ever  to  press  on  and  on 
till  they  are  changed  into  the  likeness  of  the  good 
Shepherd. 

The  FALSE  shepherd  leads  his  sheep  forth  no 
further  than  he  himself  has  gone.  It  is  a  difficult 
problem  to  lead  another  into  an  experience  you 
have  not  yourself  had  or  understood.  Therefore 
he  declares  that  it  is  foolish  and  preposterous  to 
expect  the  same  green  pastures,  the  same  clear 
water,  the  same  grapes  and  pomegranates  today 
that  they  had  in  Bible  times.  He  declares  wisely 
that  the  baptism  of  the  Ho ly  Spirit,  with  the  evi- 
dence of  speaking  with  other  tongues,  is  not  for 
today — is  absolutely  unnecessary.  In  other  words, 
the  disciples  and  other  sheep  of  that  day  ate  all  of 
that  pasture  up  and  exhausted  God's  supply  in 
that  line.  We  must  be  content  with  the  left-overs, 
and  not  blame  God  for  running  out  of  stock. 

As  for  Divine  healing:  "Tut!  Tut!  Child!  that 
is  not  for  today.  God  has  given  us  good  common 
sense  and  expects  us  to  use  it.  Get  the  doctor  if 
you  are  sick.  What  were  medicines  made  for  if 
not  to  be  taken?  The  days  of  miracles  are  past, 
the  early  church  sheep  ate  all  that  clover  up,  and 
drank  the  last  of  that  miraculous  healing  power. 
Is  any  sick  amongst  you,  let  him  run  for  the  doc- 
tor, get  a  bottle  of  good  tonic  and  a  box  of  pills, 
and  the  doctor  will  raise  him  up.  You  sheep  must 
not  murmur  at  the  little,  stale  pasture  that  is 
left  over  or  the  muddy  waters  trampled  by  so 
many  feet — learn  with  what  things  ye  have,  there- 
with to  be  content." 

"Now  as  for  dancing,   shouting,   falling  under 

450 


FfcSTURE 


TWO  PASTURES 


SHEPHERDS  "FALSE  AND  TRUE" 

the  power,  and  such  like,  that  is  all  excitement/' 
say  the  false  shepherds;  "things  should  be  done 
decently  and  in  order;  the  amen  corner  is  out  of 
date,  it  is  undignified  to  shout  today  (unless  it  is 
for  some  ball  game  or  something  for  the  devil)  ; 
and  this  falling  under  the  power  is  all  hypnotism. 
You  sheep  had  better  keep  away  from  that  pasture, 
for  the  grass  is  surely  poisoned."  And  because  joy 
and  gladness  have  withered  away,  and  the  power 
of  God  not  preached,  the  sheep  are  scattered  on 
every  high  hill  and  become  a  prey  to  the  beasts 
of  the  fields,  such  as  the  card-parties,  dance-halls, 
theatres,  church  entertainments,  oyster  suppers, 
in  fact  any  poor  painted  bauble  that  can  try  to 
conceal  the  real,  pitiful  absence  of  the  golden 
hours  of  long  ago  when  all-night  prayer  meetings 
used  to  take  the  place  of  suppers  and  entertain- 
ments, when  the  genuine  took  the  place  of  the 
sham,  when  men  and  women  used  to  dance  and 
shout  for  the  Lord  instead  of  for  the  devil. 

You  wonder  why  so  many  of  your  members  are 
at  the  different  places  of  amusement  rather  than 
in  your  prayer  meetings?  It  is  because  of  the 
false  shepherds  who  have  fed  themselves  rather 
than  feeding  the  flock.  It  is  because  the  sheep 
long  for  something  to  satisfy,  and  if  they  cannot 
find  the  old-time  joy  in  the  church  they  will  go 
to  the  world  for  happiness  and  take  the  devil's  sub- 
stitute, fun. 

But  God's  pasture  field  has  never  withered  away. 
Those  who  claim  that  the  day  of  His  visitation 
and  miraculous  power  is  ended  have  made  a  hide- 
ous and  grievous  mistake,  they  have  been  robbed 
themselves,  and  are  robbing  their  flock,  for  in  His 
storehouse  there's  a  plenty,  more  than  enough  for 
the  hundred  and  twenty.  Hundreds  of  thousands 
of  His  sheep  are  today  feeding  in  luxuriant  pas- 
tures not  only  knee-deep  but  over  their  heads. 
Glory!  They  enjoy  the  fulness  of  salvation;  the 

451 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Holy  Spirit  abides  within,  speaking  forth  the 
praises  of  the  Master  Shepherd;  they  enjoy  healing 
for  their  body  as  in  days  of  old.  Cancers,  tuber- 
culosis, broken  bones,  even  leprosy  have  been 
healed  right  in  our  present  day  in  answer  to 
prayer,  according  to  the  Word. 

THE   RAIL    FENCE    DIVIDING    THE    TWO    PASTURES. 

A  great  rail  fence  divides  the  two  pasture  fields. 
On  the  one  side  where  the  pasture  is  waving  green 
and  inviting,  and  the  clover  heads  are  nodding 
under  the  bright  sunlight  of  God's  love,  there  the 
sheep  are  fat  and  flourishing,  their  faces  radiate 
their  happiness;  they  kick  up  their  heels,  and  skip 
and  leap  and  bleat  for  joy.  (Really,  you  can't 
blame  a  person  for  dancing  and  leaping  and  shout- 
ing when  we  have  so  much  to  dance  and  shout 
for.  Glory ! ) 

But  at  the  sight  of  the  joy  manifested  in  the 
sheep  abiding  in  the  good  pasture,  the  false  shep- 
herd, standing  on  his  side  of  the  rail  fence,  with 
a  club  of  unbelief  and  theological  training  in  his 
hand,  warns  his  poor,  thin,  starved  flock  to  keep 
clear  of  those  Pentecostal  sheep,  and  Avarns  them, 
too,  that  the  grass  over  there  is  all  poisoned,  and 
that  if  ever  they  should  leap  the  fence  and  eat  of 
that  grass,  they,  too,  would  soon  be  just  as  crazy, 
kicking  up  their  heels  and  shouting,  Glory!  But 
in  spite  of  all  the  solemn  warnings,  hundreds  of 
thin  sheep,  so  thin  you  never  hear  them  say 
"Amen"  or  "Hallelujah,"  never  saw  them  leap  or 
dance  in  their  lives  for  God  (poor  things,  they 
have  little  to  dance  or  shout  over),  are  coming  up 
to  the  fence  in  curiosity  to  see  those  "foolish" 
Pentecostal  sheep  dance  and  bleat  for  joy,  and  as 
they  stand  there  looking  through  the  rails  of  doubt 
and  pride,  unbelief,  former  teaching,  preconceived 
ideas  and  public  opinion,  someAvay  even  what  they 
can  see  through  the  fence  looks  so  green  and  fresh 

452 


SHEPHERDS  "FALSE  AND  TRUE" 

and  inviting,  the  water  looks  so  cool  and  clear 
and  sparkling,  the  sheep  over  there  seem  so  happy, 
that  they  long  to  leap  the  fence  and  be  "one  of 
them."  Surely  that  preacher  must  have  been 
mistaken,  surely  that  grass  can't  be  all  poisoned,  to 
make  such  fat,  happy  sheep. 

Then  once  in  a  Avhile,  a  poor,  thin,  starved  sheep 
takes  a  leap,  and  over  the  fence  it  goes  into  the 
green  pastures.  Ah!  He  buries  his  nose  in  the 
clear  water  of  salvation,  and  just  drinks  and 
drinks  as  though  he  could  never  get  enough.  (What 
a  change  from  the  muddied  pools  where  you  just 
"hope  so'7  and  try  in  your  own  strength  to  be  a 
Christian.  Then  he  buries  his  head  in  the  green 
pastures,  lies  down  under  a  shady  tree  with  great 
delight;  then  eats  and  eats  again,  and  would  you 
believe  it,  it  is  not  long  till  that  sheep  has  grown 
fat  like  his  neighbors,  not  long  till  he,  too,  begins 
to  kick  up  his  heels  and  dance  and  bleat  for  love 
and  praise  of  the  good  Shepherd  who  provides  such 
a  satisfying  pasture. 

Standing  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence  the  false 
shepherd  points  to  the  now  joyful  sheep  and  says 
to  the  remainder  of  his  hungry  flock: 

"There  now,  what  did  I  tell  you?  Didn't  I  tell 
you  the  grass  was  poisoned  over  there,  and  that 
those  sheep  would  soon  act  as  crazy  as  the  others 
if  they  went  over  there?" 

But  brother,  sister,  just  you  go  to  "one  of  them" 
who  have  once  tasted  of  the  fulness  of  the  Spirit, 
eaten  of  the  good  pasture,  drunk  from  the  living 
waters,  received  the  Holy  Spirit  with  the  Bible 
evidence,  speaking  in  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gives 
utterance,  been  healed  in  answer  to  prayer,  one 
whose  head  has  been  anointed  with  oil  and  whose 
cup  "runneth  over"  and  see  whether  you  can  per- 
suade that  sheep  to  go  back  to  the  stale  pastures 
and  the  muddied  pools  of  a  luke-warm,  haphazard, 
make-believe  experience.  They  will  tell  you  NO ! 

453 


THIS  IS  THAT 

a  thousand  times  NO!  for  "Before  its  is  a  garden 
of  Eden,  behind  a  desolate  wilderness?" 

O,  poor,  tried,  hungry,  longing  sheep  everywhere 
peering  through  the  fence  today,  don't  hesitate  a 
moment  longer,  but  leap  the  fence,  get  over  into 
the  good  pasture,  into  the  fold  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd. He  will  satisfy  your  every  longing.  And  as 
for  you,  false  shepherd,  you  who  are  declaring  that 
God  has  no  more  of  the  old-time  pastures  left,  you 
are  standing  in  a  most  deplorable  and  perilous 
position;  for  thus  saith  the  Lord  God: 

"I  am  against  the  shepherds,  I  mill  require 
my  flock  at  their  hand." 

There  was  once  a  miner,  who  had  made  a 
"lucky  strike"  after  long  months  of  toil  in  the 
gold  mines.  Having  lived  many  weary  months  on 
canned  goods  he  longed  for  a  real  "square  meal" 
and  started,  with  his  pockets  filled  with  gold 
nuggets,  for  a  big  city  where  he  could  find  a  good 
restaurant  and  the  good  meal  anticipated.  Walk- 
ing along  the  street  he  saw  a  big  sign  that  read 
"RESTAURANT."  Hastening  toward  it  he  opened 
the  door  and  seated  himself  at  the  snowy  white 
table;  the  waiter  brought  a  fine  china  plate  and  an 
elegant  silver  knife,  fork  and  spoons,  and  presented 
him  with  an  elaborate  bill  of  fare. 

"Roast  Turkey,  Roast  Duck,  Roast  Goose,"  read 
the  hungry  man,  and  his  mouth  watered  at  the 
prospects. 

"I  believe  I'll  have  some  of  the  Roast  Turkey," 
said  he. 

"Why,  I'm  sorry,  sir,"  but  the  fowl  are  out  of 
season  here  now,  sir,  and  we  have  none  of  that," 
apologized  the  waiter. 

"Then  I'll  have  some  of  your  roast  beef,"  said 
the  man.  "Sorry,  sir,  but  it  is  near  the  end  of  the 
day  now,  and  we  are  just  out  of  all  our  regular 
meat  orders,  as  regular  dinner  hour  is  passed." 

454 


SHEPHERDS  "FALSE  AND  TRUE" 

"Well,  then,  what  have  you  got  left,  anyway?" 
cried  the  exasperated  man. 

"Well,  to  tell  the  real  truth,  sir,  we  have  not 
got  much  of  anything  left  at  this  late  hour  unless 
it  is  some  canned  goods  we  can  open  for  you." 

At  the  mention  of  canned  goods  the  poor  miner 
pushed  back  his  chair,  and  laying  down  the  big, 
elaborate  menu  card,  hastily  left  the  place  in 
search  of  a  better  service. 

How  much  like  the  way  many  preachers  preach 
the  Word.  The  sign  still  hangs  in  front  of  the 
building,  hungry  travelers  on  life's  journey  still 
swing  the  doors  wide  and  seat  themselves  at  the 
table,  hungry  to  hear  the  message  of  salvation  and 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  a  deeper  walk  with  God;  the 
snowy  linen,  and  the  fine  silver,  the  stained  glass 
windows  and  the  pipe  organ  may  be  there,  the 
imposing,  appetizing  bill  of  fare,  the  Word  of  God, 
may  be  presented,  and  as  the  traveler  reads  of  the 
wonderful  feast  of  good  things  his  soul  longs  for 
its  fulness.  So  he  says  to  the  waiter,  the  preacher : 

"Please,  Fd  like  some  of  that,  I'd  like  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Bible  way,  with  the 
Bible  joy,  I  would  like  to  dance  like  David  of  old 
with  all  my  might;  I  would  like  to  have  divine 
healing  for  the  body."  But  ah !  the  false  shepherd 
cannot  fill  the  bill,  for  he  teaches  that  these  things 
are  not  for  today. 

"I  am  very  sorry,  my  dear  man,  but  the  dis- 
ciples ate  the  last  of  that.  These  things  you  are 
asking  for  are  now  out  of  season,  the  day  too  far 
spent;  there  is  not  much  stock  left  on  hand  now, 
but  a  make-believe  salvation.  Do  the  best  you 
can;  live  a  moral  life;  sign  your  name  on  our  roll, 
and  by  way  of  pleasure  you  can  enjoy  the  canned 
goods,  the  oyster  suppers  and  socials." 

Oh,  the  shame  of  it  all!  Hungry  soul,  the  good 
Shepherd  is  calling  you,  saying : 

455 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"I  will  FEED  them  (not  starve  them)  in  a  good 
pasture,  and  upon  the  high  mountains  of  Israel 
shall  their  fold  be;  they  shall  lie  in  a  good  fold." 
Hallelujah!  "They  shall  eat  in  plenty  and  be 
satisfied/'  then  over  there  in  that  bright  tomorrow, 
the  good  Shepherd  Avill  come  walking  to  meet  us 
in  the  clouds  of  Heaven,  will  come  to  call  His 
sheep  and  His  faithful  under  shepherds  home  to 
the  eternal  fold  He  has  gone  to  prepare. 


456 


SAULS-PAST  AND  PRESENT. 


,  Saul,,  icliy  persecutest  tliou  me?"     .     . 
"It  is  hard  to  kick  against  the  pricks." 

SAUL  was  filled  with  indignation  and  ire  as  he 
hastened  along  the  road  that  led  to  Damascus. 
Saul,  a  Pharisee  of  the  Pharisees  —  Saul  who 
had  been  taught  at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel  —  Saul,  who 
walked  uprightly  and  kept  the  laAV  in  all  points- 
Saul,  the  holiness  man,  who  endeavored  to  walk 
holy  before  God  —  Saul,  who  believed  in  having 
things  done  decently  and  in  order,  was  all  wrought 
up  and  stirred  to  the  innermost  depths.  He 
breathed  out  threatenings  every  time  he  thought 
of  those  peculiar  people  called  Christians,  who 
taught  salvation  through  the  blood  of  Jesus,  and 
had  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  spoke  in 
other  tongues. 

As  Saul  hastened  on  down  the  long  road,  riding 
upon  his  high  horse  accompanied  by  his  attendants 
his  pockets  bulged  with  papers  and  accusations 
against  these  people  whom  he  was  threatening. 

How  persistent,  audacious,  foolish  and  erroneous 
those  Pentecostal  people  were,  those  so-called 
Christians,  who  claimed  to  be  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  spoke  with  other  tongues,  those  people 
who  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  had  acted  like  drunk- 
ards and  stirred  up  the  whole  city  into  a  tumult. 
Saul  set  his  face  like  a  flint  with  ,a  grim  determina- 
tion to  persecute  those  fanatics,  to  warn  his  people 
against  them,  to  put  an  end  to  them  if  that  should 
be  possible.  Had  he  not  witnessed  the  death  of 
Stephen?  While  he  had  not  thrown  the  stones, 
yet  he  had  stood  by  and  had  believed  that  he  was 
doing  God  a  favor  and  his  church  a  justice  to  de- 
nounce and  crush  such  heresy. 

457 


THIS  IS  THAT 

News  had  doubtless  reached  the  dignified,  proper 
Saul  of  the  unheard-of  and  shameful  doings  of 
those  people  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  in  Jerusalem. 
Exaggerated  reports  in  all  probability  poured  into 
his  ears  concerning  the  great  stir  and  seeming 
confusion  caused  in  that  city  when  the  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  in  a  little  upper  room  had  sud- 
denly seemed  to  go  mad,  from  a  natural  point  of 
view,  shouting,  talking  in  languages  they  had 
never  learned,  speaking  in  tongues  as  the  Spirit 
gave  them  utterance,  reeling  and  staggering  under 
the  power  of  the  Spirit  till  the  mockers  had  cried 
out  in  derision. 

"These  are  filled  with  new  wine."  True,  Peter 
had  stood  up  and  denied  the  charge  that  they  were 
drunken  and  had  declared  it  boldly,  saying: 

"These  are  not  drunken  as  ye  suppose,  seeing  it 
is  but  the  third  hour  of  the  day,  but  this  is  that 
which  was  spoken  of  by  the  Prophet  Joel."  But 
surely  evidence  had  been  against  them,  they  had 
certainly  acted  like  drunken  men  and  women  and 
had  talked  in  tongues  and  glorified  the  Lord  until 
when  this  was  noised  abroad  the  multitude  came 
running  together  confounded,  amazed,  and  in 
doubt  as  they  marveled  at  the  manifestations  of 
the  Spirit  upon  those  peculiar  people. 

All  this  was  most  disgusting  and  distasteful  to 
the  order-loving  Saul,  who  liked  to  see  religious 
services  conducted  quietly,  decently  and  in  order, 
in  a  dignified  and  ceremonious  fashion.  Surely 
such  actions  were  a  disgrace  to  religion,  and 
nothing  was  too  hard  to  say  or  do  against  those 
erroneous  Pentecostal  people.  He  spurred  his 
horse  on  as  he  remembered  the  many  who  had  been 
converted  under  Peter's  preaching  and,  as  it 
seemed  to  Saul,  deceived  and  led  astray.  There- 
fore Saul  was  going  down  to  Damascus  that  day, 
in  all  his  power,  yearning  to  do  God  the  favor  and 

458 


SAULS — PAST  AND  PRESENT 

his  church  the  justice  of  persecuting  and  putting 
an  end  to  all  such  error  and  false  teaching. 

Whether  these  early  Christians  were  called 
Pentecostal  fanatics,  tongues  people,  holy  rollers, 
or  any  of  the  other  present-day  names  flung  at 
them  by  their  opposers  and  modern  Sauls  of 
Tarsus  I  know  not;  but  at  any  rate  they  were 
people  who  had  been  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
with  the  Bible  evidence  of  speaking  in  other 
tongues  they  had  never  learned.  Acts  2 :4,  10  :46. 

All  this  was  seemingly  not  only  unnecessary, 
but  foolish  and  sacrilegious  to  the  wise  and 
mighty  Saul,  for  the  wisdom  of  God  is  foolishness 
to  man.  Were  there  not  churches  enough  or 
synagogues  enough  to  worship  in  without  getting 
out  and  separating  themselves  in  these  cottage 
meetings,  etc.? 

The  whole  affair  was  a  seemingly  fanatical  and 
erroneous  movement  to  Saul  and  he  had  been 
making  havoc  of  the  church,  entering  every  house 
and  haling  men  and  women,  committing  them  to 
prison.  And  yet  breathing  out  threatenings  and 
slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord,  he  had 
gone  to  the  high  priest  and  desired  of  him  letters 
to  the  synagogues  of  Damascus,  that  if  he  found 
any  of  this  way,  he  might  bring  them  bound, 
whether  they  were  men  or  women,  to  Jerusalem. 

But  as  he  journeyed,  he  came  near  Damascus, 
when  suddenly  there  shined  round  him  a  light 
from  heaven,  and  he  fell  to  the  earth,  and  heard  a 
voice  saying, 

"SAUL,  SAUL,  WHY  PERSECUTEST  THOU  ME? 

He  said,  "Who  art  thou  Lord?"  and  the  Lord 
said,  "I  am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest;  it  is 
hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  pricks."  And 
he  trembling  and  astonished  said,  "Lord,  what 
ivilt  thou  have  me  to  do?" 

O,  Saul!  Saul!  What  has  happened?  Man 
never  could  have  convinced  him  that  all  this  which 

459 


THIS  IS  THAT 

he  had  been  so  industriously  fighting,  and  self- 
righteously  opposing  was  of  God.  Man  might  have 
reasoned  and  argued  forever  without  availing  any- 
thing. But  suddenly,  O  how  I  love  those  words! 
God  does  do  things  suddenly.  On  the  day  of 
Pentecost  suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from 
heaven,  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind;  and  now 
here  to  doubting  Saul  suddenly  there  shined  round 
about  him  a  light  from  heaven. 

O !  dear  reader,  I  am  just  praying  as  I  write, 
that  suddenly  a  light  may  shine  upon  some  fight- 
ing, persecuting  Saul,  riding  upon  his  high  horse 
of  theology,  learning  and  wisdom,  as  he  reads  these 
words,  and  that  he  too  may  fall  to  the  earth  and 
hear  the  voice  of  Jesus  saying  "Saul,  Saul,  why 
persecutes!  thou  me?"  * 

Saul,  lying  on  his  back  in  the  middle  of  the 
dusty  road !  Could  such  a  thing  be  possible?  Saul 
who  thought  it  unnecessary  and  shameful  to  see 
people  lying  prostrate  under  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  himself  slain  full  length,  crying,  trembling 
and  astonished,  "What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?" 

Hallelujah !  I  can  hardly  keep  from  shouting 
as  I  write,  for  dear,  present  day  Sauls,  as  you  read 
this,  the  very  same  power  will  fall  on  you  if  you 
let  God  have  His  way.  O  how  Saul  must  have 
trembled  'and  repented  when  he  found  to  his 
amazement  that  it  was  Jesus,  not  the  people,  he 
was  persecuting!  and  indeed  "it  is  hard  to  kick 
against  the  pricks." 

Ah!  what  a  change  took  place  in  the  heart  of 
the  proud,  stiff,  self-righteous  Saul  in  those  few 
moments  he  lay  prostrate  under  the  power  of  God ! 
What  a  mellow,  broken,  humble  Paul  arose  from 
the  earth,  blinded  by  the  glory  of  God  till  he 
saw  no  man.  He  was  led  by  the  hand  and  after 
three  days  of  blindness  and  fasting  he  received 
his  sight  and  was  baptized  and  meekly  abode  with 
the  disciples,  and  was  soon  himself  preaching 

460 


SAULS — PAST  AND  PRESENT 

Jesus  and  the  Word;  but  all  that  heard  him  were 
amazed,  saying: 

"Is  not  this  he  who  destroyed  them  which  called 
on  this  name  in  Jerusalem?"  We  read  that  he 
increased  in  strength,  and  know  that  he  was  not 
only  converted  but  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
was  one  of  the  despised  people  who  spoke  with 
other  tongues,  for  he  himself  writes  in  I  Cor. 
14  :18 :  "I  thank  my  God  I  speak  with  tongues  more 
than  .ye  all."  Without  a  doubt  Paul  became  "one 
of  them"  forever. 

PRESENT  DAY  SAULS.  i 

Since  that  day  there  have  been  many  other 
Sauls:  Sauls  that  fought  Martin  Luther  and  all 
the  Christians  of  the  dark  ages;  Sauls  that  burned 
believers  at  the  stake,  put  out  their  eyes,  tortured 
them  in  unspeakable  ways  and  manners.  There 
were  the  Sauls  that  persecuted  Calvin  and  Knox, 
Fletcher,  Finney,  Wesley  and  Booth;  Sauls  that 
put  martyrs  upon  the  rack  and  the  guillotine,  and 
thought  they  were  doing  right;  Sauls  that  have 
thrown  stones  and  bitter  words  at  each  new  step 
forward  toward  the  restoration  of  the  church  to 
her  full  power  and  pentecostal  glory.  There  have 
been  Sauls  that  fought  the  Adventist  people  when 
first  they  preached  the  soon  coming  of  Jesus; 
Sauls  who  fought  the  holiness  people  when  they 
preached  whole-hearted  surrender  and  holiness 
unto  the  Lord.  EVEN  NOW  we  have  present  day 
Sauls,  and  will  have  till  Jesus  comes. 

These  present  day  Sauls  are  fighting  present  day 
truths  just  as  industriously  and  just  as  conscien- 
tiously as  did  Saul  of  Tarsus  of  old.  Our  Sauls  of 
today  feel  as  Saul  of  old  that  the  manifestations 
of  the  Spirit,  such  as  being  slain  under  the  power 
of  God,  speaking  in  tongues,  etc.,  are  not  at  all 
necessary  or  proper.  They  stride  along  on  their 
high  horses  of  earthly  knowledge,  theology,  for- 
mality, and  ceremonial  and  clerical  dignity,  breath- 

461 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ing  out  threatening^  against  the  despised  Pente- 
costal people  who  still  preach  Salvation,  holiness, 
and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  the  Bible 
evidence  of  speaking  with  other  tongues  as  the 
Spirit  gives  utterance,  exactly  as  did  the  disciples 
in  the  early  church,  with  signs  and  wonders 
following. 

Many  present-day  Sauls,  feeling  that  they  are 
doing  their  duty,  ignorantly  pace  up  and  down 
their  pulpits,  breathing  out  threatenings,  and 
warning  their  people  to  shun  these  same  Holy 
Ghost  people  who  are  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit 
today  as  in  the  days  of  old.  Many  of  them  have 
papers  against  them  in  their  pockets,  too,  I  fear, 
as  did  Saul  of  old.  Many  of  them  have  their 
pockets  bulging  with  tracts  and  literature  con- 
demning these  peculiar  people,  and  feel  they  are 
serving  God  and  doing  him  a  kindness  to  perse- 
cute and  try  to  crush  them. 

To  see  believers  lie  prostrate  under  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  to  hear  them  speak  in 
tongues,  or  to  see  the  mighty  manifestations  of  the 
Spirit  resting  upon  them,  seems  just  as  foolish  to 
the  natural  man,  seems  just  as  much  confusion 
and  unnecessary  to  the  wise  Sauls  of  today  as  to 
the  Sauls  of  old. 

The  wisdom  of  God  is  indeed  foolishness  to 
man,  and  God  still  takes  the  things  that  are 
naught  to  confound  the  mighty,  still  takes  the 
foolish  to  confound  the  wise,  and  a  worm  to  thrash 
a  mountain.  But  God's  arm  is  not  shortened,  and 
we  are  still  in  the  same  dispensation,  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  Holy  Ghost.  God  is  restoring  His 
church  step  by  step,  through  the  ages  to  her  full 
power  and  Pentecostal  glory.  He  is  again  mani- 
festing Himself  in  mighty  power  upon  and  through 
humble,  yielded  vessels  of  clay. 

Many  present-day  Sauls,  who  at  first  fought 
bitterly  against  the  Lord,  for  it  is  the  Lord  Jesus 

462 


SAULS — PAST  AND  PKESENT 

and  not  the  individuals  they  fight,  have  fallen  to 
the  earth  and  seen  the  light  shine  suddenly  from 
heaven.  They  too  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  the  Bible  evidence  have  begun  to  preach 
the  word  with  power  and  boldness.  Many  Sauls 
whom  man  could  never  have  convinced  that  "this 
is  that"  have  felt  God's  mighty  power,  and  them- 
selves have  fallen  to  the  earth,  crying  "Lord,  what 
wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  He  would  have  all  stiff 
necks  and  stubborn  knees  to  bend  and  bow;  He 
would  have  you  dismount  your  horse  and  get  down 
in  humility  low  in  the  dust  before  Him;  He  would 
fill  you  as  He  did  Saul  of  old  till  your  name  shall 
be  no  more  known  as  Saul  but  as  Paul,  the  least 
of  all. 

O  what  a  glorious  picture  to  see  Paul  in  the 
nineteenth  chapter  of  Acts  laying  his  hands  upon 
the  disciples  at  Ephesus  and  saying  "Receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost/'  and  then  to  see  the  Holy  Ghost 
come  upon  them  and  hear  them  speak  with  tongues 
and  prophesy. 

Dear  ones,  He  would  do  for  you  what  He  did 
for  Saul  of  Tarsus.  Why  resist  him  longer?  How 
can  you  resist  in  the  face  of  such  overwhelming 
light  from  heaven  and  from  the  Word? 

"Saul!  Saul!  why  persecutest  thou  me?  It  is 
hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  pricks ;"  for  those 
who  kick  against  God's  work  and  His  people, 
and  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  dry  up 
spiritually,  and  find  it  indeed  hard  to  kick  against 
the  pricks. 

Never  yet  has  there  been  a  church  or  preacher 
who  fought  the  little  flock  of  Holy  Ghost  baptized 
people,  and  persecuted  them  as  did  Saul  of  old, 
but  soon  came  into  a  dry  and  barren  place.  No 
matter  how  their  fields  may  have  been  blooming 
and  bearing  before,  as  soon  as  they  refused  the 
latter  rain  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  cast 
those  out  of  their  midst  who  had  received,  and 

463 


THIS  IS  THAT 

unknowingly  barred  their  doors  against  the  Holy 
Ghost  who  longed  to  come  in  the  Bible  way,  at 
once  their  fields  began  gradually  to  dry  up  and 
wither,  their  power  began  to  wane  and  disappear. 
The  light  has  shone  from  heaven  UOAV,  dear  ones. 
Read  the  Word  of  God  on  your  knees  concerning 
the  coming  of  the  Spirit,  and  His  manifestations 
and  power  upon  the  people,  and  then  cry  out,  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?  He  will  fill  you 
till,  like  Paul  of  old,  you  will  have  to  teach  this 
glad  story  to  others,  you  will  be  so  full  you  cannot 
keep  from  shouting  His  praises  aloud,  for  out  of 
your  innermost  being  will  flow  rivers  of  living 
water.  Do  not  resist  longer. 


464 


WHAT    ABOUT    THOSE    MANIFESTATIONS? 

DANCING,    SHOUTING,    SHAKING,    FALLING    PROSTRATE 

UNDER  THE   POWER,   SPEAKING   IN   TONGUES, 

INTERPRETATION. 

INTRODUCTION. 

THE  power  was  falling  everywhere  in  the  tent, 
sinners  being  saved,  believers  baptized  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  ( with  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in 
tongues),  sick  bodies  had  been  healed,  many  were 
leaping,  dancing  and  praising  God,  the  slain  of  the 
Lord  were  many ;  my  heart  felt  full  to  the  bursting 
with  joy  at  the  sight,  and  with  uplifted  hands  I 
was  walking  up  and  down  the  aisles  amongst  the 
audience,  praising  my  wonderful  Redeemer  for  the 
way  in  which  He  was  working. 

Suddenly  I  felt  a  restraining,  kid-gloved  hand 
laid  upon  my  arm,  and  a  dignified,  silk-gowned 
lady  drew  me  down  beside  her.  Her  husband,  a 
fine,  dignified  type  of  man,  was  seated  beside  her. 
They  had  snow-white  hair,  both  of  them,  and  every 
well-tailored  line  of  their  faultless  apparel  bespoke 
refinement  and  culture.  This  dear  lady  seemed  so 
sweet,  and  I  was  so  filled  with  joy,  that  I  remember 
I  could  hardly  resist  throwing  my  arms  around 
her  and  kissing  her  and  shouting  "Glory  to  Jesus." 
Her  troubled,  agitated  look  checked  this  impulse, 
however,  and  as  she  began  to  talk  to  me  in  her 
rapid  way,  her  breast  was  rising  and  falling,  with 
her  quick  breathing  and  (I  was  going  to  say, 
"indignation,"  but  hardly  think  that  would  be  the 
word  to  apply  to  such  a  sweet  and  proper  person- 
age.) 

As  she  spoke,  she  alternately  gazed  through  her 
lorgnette,  which  hung  on  a  slender  thread  of  gold 
from  her  gown,  and  pointed  with  it  to  some  mani- 

465 


THIS  IS  THAT 

festations  (for  the  saints  wore  dancing,  shouting, 
and  praising  God),  or  tapped  it  lightly  upon  her 
book  for  emphasis: 

"Of  course,  I  believe  in  the  power  of  God,"  she 
said,  "but  O,  the  noise,  these  awful  manifestations ! 
What  is  the  good  of  them,  anyway?  Did  not  Paul 
say  that  all  things  are  to  be  done  decently  and  in 
order?  Now,  take,  for  instance,  that  dancing  and 
shaking,  it  seems  like  confusion,  and  is  not  at  all 
necessary.  And  that  falling  on  the  floor  and  lying 
for  an  hour.  Do  you  think  that  looks  dignified  or 
proper?"  she  demanded.  "As  for  this  leaping  and 
shouting,  why  can  not  these  people  praise  God  in 
a  quiet,  orderly  way  in  their  heart  and  give  ex- 
pression to  their  worship  soberly  in  a  quiet  hymn 
of  thanksgiving?  You  know  the  world  would 
think  far  more  of  them,"  she  added,  "and  stop 
criticising  and  persecuting  if  only  they  would  put 
down  these  awful  manifestations.  Oh!  Oh!  I  am 
so  disturbed.  Do  tell  me,  what  about  these  mani- 
festations?" 

#     *     # 

Knowing  that  many  honest  Christians  are  asking 
the  same  question,  might  it  not  be  well  to  look  at 
this  important  matter  from  the  standpoint  of 
God's  Word  today?  Let  us  begin  with  the  seventh 
verse  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  I  Corinthians, 
which  says : 

"THE  MANIFESTATION  OF  THE  SPIRIT  IS  TO  PROFIT 
WITHAL." 

Quoting  the  whole  context  we  read  as  follows: 
"Now  there  are  diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same 
Spirit.  And  there  are  differences  of  administra- 
tions, but  the  same  Lord.  And  there  are  diversities 
of  operations;  but  it  is  the  same  God  that  worketh 
all  in  all.  But  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  is 
given  to  every  man  to  profit  ivithal."  "Yes,  but 
what  is  the  good  of  these  manifestations?"  you 
ask.  Why,  "to  profit  withal"  answers  Paul. 

466 


WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE   MANIFESTATIONS? 

"Well,  but  what  can  be  the  profit  resulting  from 
manifestations  such  as  shouting,  dancing,  shaking, 
falling  under  the  power,  etc.?77  you  ask. 

Just  a  moment,  and  we  will  take  these  things 
up  one  by  one,  but  first  let  me  say  that  when  the 
pOAver  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  upon  ,a  person  or  an 
assembly,  you  can  no  more  stifle  the  manifestations 
without  quenching  the  power  of  the  Spirit  than 
you  can  shut  off  all  air  from  a  fire  without  ex- 
tinguishing it,  or  turn  off  the  water- faucet  without 
stopping  the  flow  of  water,  or  turn  off  the  electric 
light  switch  without  putting  out  the  lights,  or  cut 
the  telephone  wire  without  breaking  the  connec- 
tion. 

WHEREVER  THERE  IS  LIVING,  VITAL,  TANGIBLE  POWER, 
THERE  IS  BOUND  TO  BE  A  MANIFESTATION. 

Turn  on  the  gas-jet  of  your  stove,  apply  a  match 
to  it  and  there  will  be  a  hot  flame.  The  greater 
the  gas  pressure  the  greater  the  flame. 

THE  KETTLE. 

Then  take  down  your  shining  teakettle  that  has 
stood  so  long,  filled  with  cold  water,  on  the  shelf, 
quiet,  cold  and  orderly  enough  to  please  any 
church  member;  put  it  over  the  hot  flame,  keep  it 
there  a  few  moments,  and  the  first  thing  you 
know  it  will  just  be  obliged  to  break  forth  into 
singing  (if  the  fire  burns  low,  singing  may  be  as 
far  as  your  kettle  will  get),  but  keep  it  on  the  hot 
fire  and  soon  steam  and  vapor  will  rise  like  praise 
from  a  heart  that  is  warmed  by  His  love.  The 
hotter  it  gets,  the  more  manifestations  there  are 
in  the  kettle,  till  at  last  it  is  bubbling  and  dancing 
and  boiling  all  over. 

If  you  do  not  like  manifestations,  dear  preacher, 
turn  the  gas  or  power  off  and  you  will  not  be 
bothered  with  the  manifestations  very  long,  your 
particular  kettle  will  soon  sit  still  enough  and 
cold  enough  to  suit  even  your  most  rigid  ideas  of 
propriety  and  order. 

467 


THIS  IS  THAT 

We  repeat  that  where  there  is  power  there  is  a 
manifestation  of  that  power.  Put  your  church  or 
your  assembly  or  self  on  the  hot  flame  of  Jesus' 
love  and  the  Spirit's  power,  and  you,  like  yonder 
kettle,  will  soon  break  forth  into  singing,  and  the 
vapor  of  praise  will  rise,  not  from  outside  sources, 
but  from  within  the  innermost  depths  of  your 
being,  and  as  the  fire  burns  brighter  there  will  be 
a  bubbling  and  dancing  in  your  soul.  Amen.  Try 
to  put  the  lid  on  tightly  if  you  will,  but  'twill  only 
boil  over  through  the  spout.  Stop  up  that  and 
keep  it  on  the  fire,  and  there  will  be  an  explosion 
(hat  will  blow  the  cover  off,  and  the  bubbling  and 
dancing  will  go  on  as  long  as  the  kettle  stays  on 
the  fire.  Hallelujah ! 

The  wind  is  invisible,  but  there  is  a  power  there, 
and  when  it  blows  through  the  trees  there  is  a 
manifestation,  the  leaves  begin  to  shake.  The 
harder  the  wind,  the  more  the  power,  the  greater 
the  manifestation;  the  branches,  the  limbs,  and 
even  the  trunk  sway.  I  have  known  greater  trees 
than  you  to  be  slain  prostrate  beneath  this  visible 
power  of  the  invisible  wind. 

We  might  mention  many  more  instances  wherein 
the  workings  of  nature  are  analogous  to  the 
workings  of  the  Spirit.  Let  us  turn,  however, 
from  these  comparisons  in  nature  to  the  Word 
of  God.  Let  us  ascertain  what  saith  the  Scriptures 
pertaining  to  the  subject  of  manifestations,  and 
let  them  be  the  authority  on  the  subject. 

DANCING. 

Is  dancing  in  the  Spirit  Scriptural  in  the  light 
of  God's  Word?  Yes,  the  Word  is  full  of  it. 
Dancing  belongs  to  the  Lord.  The  devil  has 
simply  tried  to  imitate  it  and  has  made  as  poor 
an  imitation  of  this  as  of  most  of  the  other  things 
he  has  tried  to  counterfeit.  If  you  read  carefully 
what  the  Scripture  says  about  dancing  you  will 
find  that  singing,  music  and  dancing  have  their 

468 


WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE  MANIFESTATIONS? 

place  in  the  Lord's  church.  I  am  wondering  if 
you  who  disapprove  of  dancing  in  the  Spirit  today 
disapprove  also  of  Exodus  15 :20,  21,  where :  "Miri- 
am, the  prophetess,,  took  a  timbrel  in  her  hand, 
and  all  the  women  went  out  after  her  with  timbrels 
and  with  dances.  And  Miriam  answered  them, 
Sing  ye  to  the  Lord  a  new  song,  for  He  hath 
triumphed  gloriously."  The  whole  multitude  of 
women  and  Miriam,  the  prophetess  and  leader, 
went  forth  praising  the  Lord  with  dancing,  shout- 
ing and  music. 

I  am  wandering  if  you  approve  of  Moses,  who 
also  led  the  hosts  in  the  same  way,  with  music 
and  dancing;  whether  you  approve  of  David  in 
II  Sam.  6  :14,  where  "David  danced  before  the  Lord 
with  all  his  might/7  His  wife  disapproved,  you 
remember,  as  she  stood  behind  her  window.  I 
have  always  believed,  however,  that  if  she  could 
only  have  been  outside  where  the  full  tides  of 
praise  were  flowing,  could  she  but  have  heard 
the  music,  she,  too,  would  have  wanted  to  dance 
and  praise  the  Lord.  Oh,  come  outside  of  the 
window  of  self  and  formality  and  remember  that 
David's  wife  was  stricken  Avith  barrenness  to  the 
day  of  her  death  because  she  disapproved  of  and 
fought  manifestations.  Did  you  ever  know  of  an 
individual  or  an  assembly  who  fought  the  mani- 
festations of  the  power  of  God  without  being 
stricken  with  barrenness  and  leanness?  I  never 
did.  Remember,  too,  they  who  laid  their  hands 
upon  the  Ark  to  steady  it  were  consumed  immedi- 
ately by  the  indignation  of  God. 

Psalms  149 :3  says :  "Let  them  praise  His  name 
in  the  dance;  let  them  sing  praises  unto  Him  until 
the  timbrel  and  harp."  Psalms  150:4,  "Praise 
Him  with  the  timbrel  and  dances."  Jeremiah  31 :13. 
"Then  shall  the  virgins  rejoice  in  the  dance,  both 
young  and  old  together."  Acts  3:8  tells  us  that 
when  the  lame  man  was  healed,  "He,  leaping  up, 

469 


THIS  IS  THAT 

stood,  and  walked,  and  entered  into  the  temple, 
walking  and  leaping  and  praising  God." 

This  same  Redeemer  which  was  theirs  is  ours 
today.  He  heals  in  the  same  way.  HOAV  can  we 
keep  from  dancing  and  praising  such  a  Saviour? 

SHOUTING. 

It  seems  almost  impossible  that  any  Bible 
student  should  question  for  a  moment  the  right  of, 
the  children  of  the  Lord  to  shout  His  praises,  the 
Word  is  so  filled  with  it.  You  recall  that  "When 
the  Ark  came  into  the  camp,  all  Israel  shouted 
with  a  great  shout  so  that  the  earth  rang  again, 
and  when  the  Philistines  heard  the  noise  of  the 
shout  they  said,  What  meaneth  the  noise  of  this 
great  shout  in  the  camp  of  the  Hebrews  ?"  I  Sam. 
4 :5.  Again  we  read  that  "David,  and  all  the  house 
of  Israel  brought  up  the  Ark  of  the  Lord  with 
shouting  and  with  the  sound  of  the  trumpet." 
II  Sam.  6 :15.  Psalms  tell  us,  "0  clap  your  hands, 
all  ye  people,  shout  unto  God  with  a  voice  of 
triumph!" 

"There's  a  shout  in  the  Camp.    Hallelujah ! 

Glory  to  God! 
There's  an  echo  in  Heaven.    Hallelujah ! 

Glory  to  God ! 

Truly,  "the  children  of  the  Lord  have  a  right 
to  shout  and  sing."  We  are  in  the  same  battle 
today  as  that  we  read  of  in  Joshua  6:5,  where  it 
came  to  pass  that  "When  they  made  a  long  Hast 
with  the  ram's  horn,  and  heard  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet,  that  all  the  people  shouted  with  a  great 
shout  and  the  wall  of  the  city  fell  down  flat." 
There  will  be  a  wonderful  shout  some  of  these 
days,  for  we  read  that  "The  Lord  Himself  shall 
descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice 
of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God." 
Why,  even  the  Lord  shouts,  and  He  is  our  great 
example. 

470 


WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE  MANIFESTATIONS? 

Truly,  we  have  something  worth  shouting  over. 
Joy  always  manifests  itself.  The  shouts  at  ball 
games,  races,  political  celebrations,  etc.,  are  ac- 
cepted as  a  usual  and  expected  thing.  The  day 
would  be  considered  tame  and  with  something 
radically  Avrong  and  missing  without  it.  Remem- 
ber how  the  announcement  of  peace  was  met  right 
here  in  our  own  country,  how  they  tied  down  the 
horns  and  the  whistles,  how  every  conceivable 
noise-making  device  was  brought  forth  to  SAvell 
the  sound  of  jubilee.  Now  we  have  heard  the 
proclamation  of  everlasting  peace,  from  the  King 
who  has  won  the  greatest  battle  ever  fought.  How 
can  we  keep  from  shouting?  There  are  so  many 
shouting  for  the  devil  with  none  to  hinder,  that 
we  thank  God  for  those  who  shout  for  Jesus. 

When  shouting  is  in  the  Spirit  it  comes  from 
such  depth  and  rings  so  true  and  genuine  that 
none  can  mistake  it.  The  devil  will  try  to  imitate 
the  shout  in  the  camp  of  the  Hebrews,  but  there 
will  be  a  hollow,  forced  sound  that  does  not  ring 
true.  There  are  many  who  do  not  like  the  noise 
of  the  shouting,  but  we  advise  all  such  to  let 
Jesus  fill  them  with  the  same  power  and  glory,  to 
put  a  shout  in  their  soul,  for  this  is  by  far  the 
quietest  world  they  will  ever  live  in.  In  heaven 
John  heard  the  shouting  and  praising  of  the 
multitude  as  they  cried,  "Holy,  holy,  holy,  salva- 
tion and  honor  and  dominion  belongeth  unto  Him. 
till  the  voice  and  shouting  of  the  people  was  as 
the  sound  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of 
great  thunder."  Surely  those  who  dislike  shouting 
would  dislike  heaven,  or  must  learn  to  join  the 
song.  O,  how  can  you  look  upon  such  a  wonderful 
Saviour  without  shouting  His  praise?  And  as  for 
those  who  are  cast  into  hell,  "there  shall  be  weep- 
ing and  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth.-'  That  will 
surely  be  a  noisy  place,  and  I  would  much  rather 
hear  the  noise  of  shouts  and  rejoicing  than  weep- 
ing. Wouldn't  you? 

471 


THIS  IS  THAT 

O,  Beloved,  thank  God  for  the  shout  and  the 
dance  and  the  sound  of  joy.  Let  us  never  be 
ashamed  of  it.  How  many  denominations  once 
had  God's  power  resting  on  them  in  this  same 
way,  and  became  too  proud  and  haughty  and 
dignified  to  remain  yielded  to  His  will.  Soon  the 
powrer  left,  the  Amen  corner  left,  and,  as  Joel  1 :12 
put  it,  "The  vine  becomes  dried  up,  the  fig  tree 
languisheth;  the  pomegranate  tree,  the  palm  tree 
also,  and  the  apple  tree,  even  all  the  trees  of  the 
field  are  withered  because  joy  is  icithholden  from 
the  house  of  your  God/7  Each  of  the  churches 
that  once  had  the  power  and  glory  of  God  resting 
upon  it,  and  later  fought  this  power,  is  barren 
today.  The  enemy  would  like  Pentecost  to  do 
the  same  as  those  who  have  gone  before,  but  if  we 
ever  do  this  thing  God  will  cause  the  cloud  of 
glory  to  lift  from  us,  and  mil  call  another  people 
who  will  be  willing  to  go  on  and  who  are  not 
ashamed  to  let  Him  have  His  way.  We  will  be 
left  to  our  creeds  and  ceremonies  and  forms  as 
surely  as  were  our  predecessors. 

The  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  Acts  2  :4,  stood  for  a  mighty  mani- 
festation of  the  power  of  God;  men  and  women 
reeled,  staggered,  talked  in  tongues,  were  accused 
of  being  drunken.  Did  it  turn  the  people  away? 
No.  Three  thousand  souls  were  added  to  the 
church  that  day.  //  we  call  ourselves  Pentecostal, 
if  we  have  the  sign  "Pentecostal"  over  our  as- 
sembly door,  let  us  stand  behind  all  that  it  means, 
or  else  change  our  name,  take  the  sign  "Pente- 
costal" from  our  door,  and  go  back  to  church  forms 
and  ceremonies.  The  Holy  Spirit  never  intrudes 
nor  forces  His  way  and  manifestations  where  he 
is  not  wanted.  Many  flourishing  assemblies  once 
filled  and  swayed  by  the  power  of  God,  have 
quenched  the  Spirit,  criticised  and  checked  thu 
manifestations,  until  today  they  have  no  manifes- 

472 


WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE  MANIFESTATIONS? 

tations  to  quench  or  to  bring  reproach  upon  them. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  rid  an  assembly  of  this 
outward  working  of  the  supernatural  power  of 
God.  Just  a  little  criticism  and  disapproval,  and 
the  gentle  dove  will  spread  His  wings  and  pass  on 
to  some  other  abode  where  He  can  find  a  people 
humble  enough  to  let  Him  have  His  way,  and  not 
ashamed  of  the  manifestations. 

Thank  God  we  have  not  come  to  the  place 
where  we  have  to  try  to  be  popular  or  pleasing  to 
the  world.  Even  if  Ave  are  a  gazing-stock,  or  a 
spectacle,  let  God  and  His  Spirit  have  the  right 
of  way,  whatever  the  cost  may  be. 

SHAKING  AND  TREMBLING  UNDER  THE  POWER. 

As  for  the  shaking  and  trembling  under  the 
power,  very  often  when  the  great  power  of  the 
Eternal,  Omnipotent,  Almighty  God  comes  in 
direct  contact  with,  or  moves  upon  a  weak,  earthly 
frame,  there  is  quaking  and  trembling,  not  of  fear 
as  men  count  fear,  but  of  power.  Moses  said, 
"I  do  exceedingly  quake  and  tremble."  In  Acts 
we  read  of  one  place  where  the  house  wherein  they 
sat  was  shaken. 

Heb.  12:26  says:  "His  voice  then  shook  the 
earth,  but  now  .  .  .  once  more  shall  I  shake, 
not  the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven."  See  Acts 
9 :9,  how  Paul  trembled  in  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.  Daniel  tells  us  that  he  did  exceedingly 
quake  and  tremble,  and  in  speaking  of  those  who 
were  with  him,  says  that  a  great  quaking  fell  upon 
them.  Sacred  history  tells  us  that  this  manifes- 
tation has  not  been  uncommon  all  down  through 
the  ages,  and  coming  to  modern  days  we  note 
that  the  Quakers  came  by  their  name  because  of 
the  way  they  shook  and  quaked  under  the  power 
of  God.  We  might  mention  the  shaking  Metho- 
dists, etc.  This  is  the  same  power  which  we  see 
in  our  midst  today. 

473 


THIS  IS  THAT 
BEING   PROSTRATED   UNDER  THE   POWER. 

"What  about  this  being  slain,  prostrated,  lying 
under  the  power?"  You  do  not  think  it  looks  at 
all  dignified  or  proper,  you  say.  I  wonder  whether 
Peter  looked  dignified  or  proper  when  he  lay  in 
the  trance  on  his  housetop  and  saw  the  vision  of 
the  sheet  let  down,  etc.  (Acts  10:9  to  16),  or  John, 
on  the  isle  of  Patmos,  when  he  lay  at  His  (Jesus') 
feet  as  one  dead,  or  Daniel,  as  he  lay  in  a  vision, 
or  Saul,  when  he  fell  from  his  horse  in  the  dust 
of  the  road  as  Jesus  revealed  Himself  to  him.  It 
was  as  though  Jesus,  when  He  conquered,  got 
both  of  SauFs  shoulders  to  the  ground,  and  he 
surrendered  there  and  then.  'Twas  not  at  all 
dignified  or  anything  for  the  "Flesh'7  or  "Pride"  to 
boast  over,  I  agree;  in  fact  they  were  so  ashamed 
and  mortified  they  gave  up  in  despair  and  died 
there  and  then;  but  O,  the  Spirit  Life  of  Humility 
and  Knowledge  of  God's  pOAver  that  took  their 
place ! 

We  might  go  on  to  mention  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
and  others  who  fell  prostrate  before  Him.  We 
might  mention  the  prostrations  in  the  early 
Methodist  church,  the  Salvation  Arnw,  the  Welch 
Revival,  and  today,  throughout  the  world,  wher- 
ever God  is  pouring  out  His  Spirit,  and  when  I 
get  to  heaven  I  expect  to  see  angels  and  men 
before  Him  prostrate  fall  as  they  "bring  forth  the 
royal  diadem  and  crown  Him  Lord  of  all." 

SPEAKING  IN  TONGUES  AND  INTERPRETATION  IS 
SCRIPTURAL. 

In  Isaiah  28:11  we  read,  "With  stammering 
lips  and  another  tongue  icill  He  speak  to  this 
people."  Jesus  Himself  said,  "These  signs  shall 
follow  them  that  believe  .  .  .  they  shall  speak 
with  new  tongues"  Mark  16:17.  In  Acts  2:4 
those  who  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  began 
to  speak  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit  gave 
them  utterance.  Likewise  Acts  10:46,  Acts  19:6. 

474 


WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE  MANIFESTATIONS? 

And  Paul  tells  us  (the  14th  chapter  of  I  Cor.) 
"Let  Mm  that  speaketh  with  an  unknown  tongue 
pray  that  he  may  interpret"  and  that,  in  the 
assembly,  "if  any  man  speak  with  an  unknown 
tongue,  let  it  be  by  two,  or  at  most  by  three,  and 
that  by  course,  and  let  one  interpret." 

GENUINE  AND  COUNTERFEIT. 

Are  manifestations  of  the  Spirit  scriptural? 
Y-E-S.  Are  ALL  manifestations  scriptural?  N-O. 
How  can  we  tell  the  difference?  It  is  easy  to 
discern,  in  the  Spirit,  between  the  real  and  the 
counterfeit.  There  is  a  different  shine  on  the  face, 
a  different  ring  in  the  voice,  a  majesty  and  holi- 
ness. There  will  be  that  which  edifies  and  builds 
up  (but  just  here  remember  that  your  conception 
of  edifying  manifestations  and  that  of  God  may 
vary.  Had  you  seen  the  hundred  and  twenty  reel- 
ing and  staggering  like  drunken  men — Acts  2:13, 
15 — you  might  not  have  thought  it  edifying,  yet 
God  was  in  it,  and  Peter  said  they  were  filled 
with  the  Spirit,  and  three  thousand  souls  were 
added  to  the  church  that  day). 

But  do  we  claim  that  all  manifestations  are  in 
the  Spirit?  you  ask.  We  answer,  No,  for  the 
devil  has  tried  to  imitate  manifestations  as  he 
has  everything  else.  There  are  also  some  mani- 
festations in  the  flesh  by  those  who  are  anxious 
for  God  to  manifest  Himself  and  use  them,  who 
run  before  the  Lord. 

BUT  WHAT  SHALL  WE  DO  IN  OUR  ASSEMBLY  WHEN  WE 
FIND  MANIFESTATIONS  THAT  ARE  NOT  OF  GOD? 

Shall  we  quench  the  Holy  Spirit  for  fear  of  that 
which  is  not  of  the  Spirit?  Not  at  all.  Do  as 
Aaron  did  when  the  enemy  sought  to  counterfeit; 
you  remember,  he  threw  down  his  rod  and  it  be- 
came a  serpent.  Straightway  the  magicians 
threw  down  their  rods  and  immediately  they  be- 
came serpents.  Did  Moses  and  Aaron  begin  to 

475 


THIS  IS  THAT 

wail  and  regret  that  they  had  obeyed  God,  thus 
giving  the  enemy  an  opportunity  to  manifest  him- 
self? Why,  no,  their  God  was  bigger  than  the 
devil.  Their  serpent  opened  up  his  mouth  and 
swallowed  up  all  the  other  serpents  until  they 
were  out  of  sight  completely.  So  will  the  true 
Holy  Spirit,  if  we  let  Him  have  His  way,  swallow 
up  and  spoil  every  trick  and  tactic  of  the  enemy, 
If  you  let  Him  have  His  way  YOU  will  have  no 
need  to  fight  in  this  battle,  HE  will  do  it  all,  and 
get  greater  glory  to  Himself  than  as  though  there 
had  been  no  struggle.  The  counterfeit  makes  the 
genuine  to  shine  the  brighter.  When  the  Ark 
is  in  the  midst  all  earthly  goods  must  fall  and  be 
broken  before  it.  Hallelujah! 

MORE  THAN  A  MATCH  FOR  THE  ENEMY. 

Many  leaders  seem  to  fear  the  enemy  so  much 
that  they  almost  act  as  if  they  had  to  protect 
"poor  little  God"  from  the  onslaughts  of  the 
"Great,  Big  D-E-V-I-L;"  but  Oh,  dear  ones,  our 
God  is  Great  and  Big  and  High  and  Wide.  He 
sitteth  in  the  heavens,  the  earth  is  his  footstool, 
the  seas  are  in  the  palm  of  His  hand,  the  moun- 
tains are  but  as  the  small  dust  in  His  balances. 
He  is  more  than  a  match  for  the  enemy.  Let  Him 
have  His  way  when  He  will,  where  He  will,  how 
He  willy  and  the  earth  will  quake  and  His  enemies 
be  scattered  before  Him  as  clouds  before  the 
whirlwind. 

He  is  getting  a  "sign  and  wonder"  people  today, 
a  people  who  are  a  gazing-stock  to  the  world. 
The  Holy  Spirit  is  His  own  advertising  agent  to- 
day as  He  was  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  when  the 
multitude  came  running  together  crying,  "What 
meaneth  this?" 

STUPENDOUS  MANIFESTATION  COMING  SOON. 

There  is  going  to  be  a  great  manifestation  some 
of  these  days,  dear  ones,  a  greater  shaking,  a 

47.6 


WHAT  ABOUT  THOSE  MANIFESTATIONS? 

greater  leaping  and  shouting  than  ever  you  have 
heard  or  imagined  before.  The  graves  of  those 
who  died  in  the  Lord  are  going  to  be  shaken  open 
wide  and  with  them  the  liberated  souls  of  those 
who  remain  are  going  to  leap  so  high  that  they 
will  not  return  to  this  earth  again  for  a  long,  long 
time,  and  shouting!  Oh,  what  a  triumphant,  vic- 
torious, joyful  shout  will  rend  the  sky  as  our  eyes 
behold  the  Bridegroom  descending  out  of  Heaven, 
clad  in  power  and  might.  What  a  manifestation 
there  will  be  that  day !  Every  band,  every  stringed 
instrument  in  Heaven  will  be  there.  Every  mouth 
will  be  filled  with  the  shouts  of  His  praises,  as 
the  saints  are  swept  into  His  presence.  They  will 
come  with  songs  of  everlasting  joy  upon  their 
heads. 

In  the  meantime,  dear  heart,  let  Him  have  His 
way  with  thee,  quench  not  the  Spirit,  but  let  Him 
move  upon  the  waters  as  He  will,  for  from  Genesis, 
the  first  chapter,  when  He  moved  upon  the  waters, 
saying,  "Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light" 
there  was  a  manifestation.  From  the  moment  that 
at  His  Word  the  moon  and  the  stars  sprang  into 
being,  down  into  the  present  day  on  into  eternity, 
where  God  is,  where  God  moves,  where  God  speaks, 
there  will  be  a  manifestation  of  His  presence  and 
of  His  power. 


477 


RECEIVE  YE  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

JESUS  says  "If  you  love  me,  keep  my  command- 
ments." It  is  one  of  his  commandments  that 
we  "receive  the  Holy  Ghost."  The  Word  of  God 
repeatedly  tells  us  of  the  importance  of  the  work 
done  in  the  life  of  the  believer  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
John  the  Baptist  preached  this  in  the  wilderness, 
saying:  "There  cometh  one  after  me,  the  latchet 
of  whose  shoes  I  am  unworthy  to  unloose.  I  in- 
deed baptize  you  with  water,  but  He  shall  baptize 
you  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Once  it  is  fully  understood  that  we  are  still 
living  in  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
will  be  until  Jesus  comes  again,  the  importance  of 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  at  once  realized. 
Jesus  the  Saviour,  who  shed  His  blood  to  redeem  a 
world  of  lost  sinners,  has  ascended  into  the 
Heavens  and  sat  down  upon  his  Father's  throne, 
until  the  day  when  His  waiting  bride  will  be 
ready  to  rise  to  meet  Him  in  the  air.  But  during 
this  long  interval  He  has  not  left  us  comfortless, 
but  has  sent  us  another  Comforter,  even  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  He  might  lead  us  into  all  truth.  How 
important  it  is  therefore  that  we  understand 
the  office  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  lives, 
and  are  led  by  Him,  who  has  come  to  take  the 
things  of  Jesus  and  reveal  them  unto  us. 

The  first  work  of  the  Spirit  is  begun  in  our  lives 
while  we  are  yet  sinners,  for  no  man  can  come 
unto  the  Father  except  the  Spirit  draw  him.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  with  the  sinner,  therefore,  to  convict 
or  convince  him  of  sin,  to  show  him  his  helpless 
and  lost  condition  without  Jesus,  and  when  he  is 
willing  to  repent,  he  leads  that  penitent  one  to  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  the  sinner's  best  friend. 

478 


RECEIVE  YE  THE  HOLY  GHOST 

Now  the  Holy  Spirit  cannot  cleanse  away  his 
sin  nor  save  him,  for  Jesus  paid  it  all,  all  to  him 
we  owe,  and  by  faith  we  cry  to  Jesus  the  Lamb  of 
God  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world.  The 
blood  is  applied  to  the  sinner's  heart,  and  the 
Spirit  Himself  bears  witness  with  his  spirit  that 
he  is  now  the  child  of  God.  It  is  the  precious 
Wood  of  Jesus  that  cleanseth,  and  the  Spirit  that 
bears  witness  to  our  hearts  that  the  cleansing  is 
done. 

The  same  Holy  Spirit,  who  was  with  the  sinner, 
to  convict  of  sin,  is  still  with  the  newly  converted 
soul,  to  witness  of  righteousness  and  lead  him  on 
to  perfection.  Moreover  He  seeks  to  come  within 
the  cleansed  soul  and  make  it  the  temple  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

Right  here  let  me  emphasize  the  difference  be- 
tween having  the  Spirit  "WITH"  you  and  having 
the  Spirit  "IN"  you.  Jesus  told  His  disciples  that 
He  that  is  with  you  shall  be  in  you,  then  He 
breathed  upon  them  and  said,  "Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost." 

Someone  says,  "O,  but  I  know  I  received  the 
Holy  Ghost  when  I  was  saved,  for  I  had  such  joy 
and  peace,  and  such  a  witness  in  my  soul."  No, 
dear  one,  that  was  Jesus  you  received  as  your 
Saviour,  not  the  Holy  Ghost,  Do  not  underesti- 
mate the  great  work  of  salvation,  for  Jesus  brings 
joy  and  peace,  and  the  Spirit  with  you  gives  you 
this  witness,  but  now  after  salvation  and  conse- 
cration, the  Holy  Ghost  seeks  to  come  in.  When 
He  comes  in  to  abide,  you  will  know  it.  He  will 
fill  every  bit  of  your  being  and  flood  your  soul  to 
overflowing  until  out  of  your  innermost  being  there 
flow  rivers  of  living  waters  and  you  speak  in 
other  tongues  (languages  you  never  learned)  as 
the  Spirit  gives  utterance. 

There  will  be  no  "think  so"  about  it  when  yon 
receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  you  will  have  the 

479 


THIS  IS  THAT 

same  Bible  evidence  Paul,  Peter,  Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke,  John  and  all  the  other  disciples  had,  the 
same  evidence  that  Mary  the  Mother  of  Jesus  had, 
that  they  had  at  Ephesus  and  Caesarea — speaking 
in  other  tongues  will  follow  your  infilling  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  This  incoming  of  the  Spirit  will 
be  so  real  that  never  to  the  longest  day  you  live 
will  any  one  be  able  to  make  you  doubt  for  the 
fraction  of  a  second  that  you  have  received  the 
Holy  Ghost,  for  you  can  put  your  finger  on  the 
chapter  and  verse,  Acts  2:4,  and  say,  "I  received 
the  Holy  Ghost  just  like  the  hundred  and  twenty," 
or  on  Acts  10:46,  and  say,  "I  received  just  as  the 
believers  did  in  the  house  of  Cornelius,"  or,  again, 
upon  Acts  19:6,  and  boldly  affirm  that  without  a 
doubt  you  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as  did  the 
disciples  at  Ephesus,  for  you  had  the  same  Bible 
evidence  and  spake  in  other  tongues.  When  the 
Spirit  comes  in  you  will  have  this  evidence  today 
just  as  in  the  days  of  old. 

Now  being  made  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
ever  let  Him  have  His  way.  He  will  take  the 
things  of  the  Father  and  reveal  them  unto  you  if 
you  will  close  your  eyes  to  all  else.  You  will  be 
endued  with  power  from  on  high  if  you  remain 
humbly  submissive  to  His  dealings.  He  will  pray 
through  you  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered. 
He  will  rejoice  through  you  with  joy  unspeakable 
and  full  of  glory  if  you  let  Him  have  His  way. 

O  dear  ones,  you  need  the  Holy  Ghost  so  much 
in  your  lives.  If  He  is  tcith  you  today,  open  up 
your  hearts  and  let  Him  come  in.  Seek  and  you 
shall  find,  but  never  stop  short  of  the  real  Bible 
experience  in  the  Bible  way,  accompanied  with  the 
Bible  evidence. 


480 


ACCORDING   TO   THY   WORD. 

And  Mary  said,  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord;  be  it 
unto  me  according  to  thy  Word. — Luke  1 : 38. 

IT  was  the  Virgin  Mary  (whot  later  became  the 
mother  of  Jesus)  that  spoke  the  above  words: 
The  angel  of  the  Lord  had  spoken  to  her  con- 
cerning God's  will  for  her,  namely  that  she,  a 
virgin,  should  bring  forth  the  Christ  Child.  No 
doubt  many  thoughts  flashed  like  lightning  across 
the  mind  of  Mary,  the  reproach,  the  misunder- 
standing that  this  would  bring  to  her.  Mother 
would  not  understand,  Father  would  misunder- 
stand, Joseph,  her  espoused  husband  would  think 
evil  of  her,  neighbors  would  falsely  accuse  her, 
and  worse  still,  flashed  a  vision  of  herself,  per- 
haps standing  in  the  public  square,  as  was  the 
custom  of  the  day,  degraded,  hissed  at  and  stoned 
to  death  in  the  most  ignominious  manner.  Yet,  in 
the  face  of  the  future,  Mary,  knowing  that  it  was 
the  Spirit  of  God  who  spoke  through  the  angel, 
looked  up  unflinchingly  into  His  face  and  said 
submissively : 

"Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord;  be  it  unto 

me  ACCORDING  TO  THY  WORD." 

Ah!  There  was  the  secret,  A-C-C-O-R-D-I-N-G  T-O 
T-H-Y  W-O-R-D.  As  long  as  whatever  happens  to  us  is 
according  to  the  Word  of  God,  all  will  be  well.  Can 
you  say  "Yes"  to  the  will  of  God  today,  in  spite  of 
what  Husband  or  Wife,  Father  or  Mother,  children, 
neighbors  or  pastor  will  say? 

"No  matter  what  misrepresentation  it  will  bring, 
no  matter  if  I  am  so  situated  that  mv  name  will 
be  cast  out  as  evil,  Behold,  here  I  am  Lord!  Be 
it  unto  me  according  to  Thy  Word." 

Mary  did  not  need  to  go  about  forever  explaining 

481 


THIS  IS  THAT 

her  position  or  seeking  to  vindicate  herself;  all 
she  had  to  do  was  to  say  an  eternal  "Yes"  to  God's 
will  and  God  vindicated  His  own  so  wonderfully 
that  her  reproach  was  turned  into  glory. 

It  is  God's  highest  purpose  for  each  of  us  today 
that  we,  like  the  Virgin  of  old,  should  bring  forth 
the  Christ  life  to  those  round  about  us.  We  have 
been  made  virgins,  clean  and  pure  in  heart  through 
the  atoning  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  but  in 
order  truly  to  bring  forth  and  reveal  the  Christ  to 
the  world  about  us,  we  must  be  overshadowed  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  so  yielded  in  His  hands  what- 
ever the  cost,  that  His  dear  will  may  be  fully 
wrought  out  in  our  lives. 

The  four  words,  "A-OOO-R-D-I-N-G  T-O  T-H-Y 
W-O-B-D/'  strike  the  keynote  of  each  new  Chris- 
tian experience;  God  will  never  work  in  any  other 
way  than  AC  CORD  IN  a  TO  HIS  WORD.  When 
the  sinner  comes  to  Jesus,  he  must  needs  come 
according  to  His  Word,  repenting  of  his  sins, 
forsaking  the  world,  being  born  again  through  the 
precious  blood,  without  which  there  is  no  remission 
of  sins. 

He  must  leave  unrighteousness  behind,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  Word,  He,  Jesus  Christ,  is  faithful 
and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins  and  to  cleanse  us 
from  all  unrighteousness  on  one  simple  condition, 
namely,  that  we  confess  our  sins. 

According  to  the  Word,  He  not  only  forgives 
but  cleanses  us  from  all  unrighteousness.  Indeed, 
a  sinner  who  has  not  yet  been  cleansed  from  all 
unrighteousness  is  not  yet  saved.  For  all  unright- 
eousness is  sin,  and  he  that  committeth  sin  is  of 
the  devil.  Again  he  says,  without  holiness  no  man 
shall  see  the  Lord;  therefore,  unless  we  have  been 
cleansed  and  made  holy  through  the  blood  of  Jesus 
we  shall  not  enter  Heaven  nor  see  God.  Therefore, 
according  to  the  Word,  nothing  short  of  holiness 
constitutes  a  born  again  experience.  Either  we 

482 


ACCORDING  TO  THY  WORD 

are  righteous  or  else  we  are  unrighteous,  there  is 
no  middle  ground;  and  it  is  the  blood  of  Jesus 
which  cleanseth  white  as  snow.  Sin  is  sin, 
whether  it  is  inbred  sin,  Adamic  sin,  actual  sin, 
or  whatever  name  you  may  give  it,  sin  is  sin,  and 
NO  sin  shall  enter  there.  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  God's  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  ALL  sin. 

Having  been  cleansed  and  made  holy  according 
to  His  Word,  the  believer  should  press  on  crying: 
"O,  Lord,  fill  me  with  the  Holy  Spirit  according 
to  Thy  Word;  not  according  to  how  my  minister 
or  church  ordinance  says  I  should  receive,  but 
ACCORDING  TO  THY  WORD,  0  LORD." 

Do  not  be  satisfied  with  any  other  kind  of  an 
experience  than  is  according  to  His  Word  and 
bears  the  Bible  label  upon  it.  According  to  His 
Word,  those  who  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  Bible  days  spoke  with  tongues  and 
magnified  God  (See  Acts  2:4,  Acts  10:46,  Acts 
19  :6',  I  Cor.  14  :18  and  39,  etc. ) ,  and  according  to 
the  same  Word,  God  the  Father  has  made  the 
statement  that  "I  am  the  Lord  God,  I  change 
not."  Jesus  says:  "I  am  the  same  yesterday, 
today  and  forever."  And  we  are  told  that  Heaven 
and  earth  may  pass  away,  but  His  Word  shall 
never  pass  away. 

O  Beloved,  do  you  not  long  for  an  experience 
that  is  according  to  His  Word,  not  some  new 
twentieth  century  brand  marked  "Just  as  Good," 
but  the  real,  genuine,  Bible  experience,  received  in 
the  Bible  way,  with  the  Bible  evidence  mentioned 
in  the  previous  paragraph.  Of  course  you  do. 
Then  as  God's  angel  is  hovering  about  you  as  you 
read  these  words,  just  as  he  hovered  over  Mary  of 
old,  look  up  into  His  face,  and  in  spite  of  the  vis- 
ions of  reproach,  misunderstanding  and  misrepre- 
sentations the  devil  may  bring  before  you  to  fright- 
en you  into  refusal,  say : 

"Yes,  Lord,  here  I  am.     Behold  the  handmaid 

483 


THIS  IS  THAT 

of  the  Lord;  be  it  unto  me  according  to  THY 
WORD."  And  never  stop  seeking  till  you  receive 
an  experience  that  really  is  according  to  the 
Word,  and  measures  up  to  like  experiences  re- 
corded there.  Thus  will  the  Christ  life  be  brought 
forth  to  the  world  and  His  star  be  seen  afar  off. 

Then,  according  to  His  Word,  there  is  a  full 
overcoming  life,  there  is  divine  healing,  there  is 
power  and  glory,  and  untold  riches  in  store  for 
those  who  live  and  pray  and  submit  themselves, 
A-C-C-0-R-D-I-N-G  T-0  T-H-Y  W-O-R-D. 


484 


TWENTY-FOUR     QUESTIONS     A     YOUNG 

WORKER   IS  APT   TO   MEET,  AND 

ANSWERS 

FROM  THE  WORD  HE  SHOULD  BE  ABLE  TO  GIVE. 

*Notc:  The  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  with 
the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  with  other  tongues, 
is  absolutely  scriptural  and  founded  upon  the 
Word  of  God.  Nothing  could  be  plainer  than  the 
Word  upon  this  subject;  and  as  you  study  the 
scriptures  with  your  Bible  helps  and  concordance, 
you  will  find  that  all  through  the  Bible  the  scrip- 
tures fit  and  dovetail  together,  and  none  is  left 
wanting  for  a  mate. 

Q.  1.     WHO  OR  WHAT  is  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT? 

He  is  the  third  spoken  of  in  the  Godhead.  See 
I.  John  5:7. 

A.  "For  there  arc  three  that  hear  record  in 
heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word  and  the  Holy  Ghost" 

Q.  2.  How  DO  You  KNOW  THAT  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT  is  A  PERSON  AND  NOT  AN  INFLUENCE? 

A.     Jesus  Himself  spoke  repeatedly  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  a  person,  for  instance  in  John  14th,  15th 
and  16th  chapters,  not  once  did  He  ever  refer  to 
the  Spirit  as  "IT,"  but  always  as  "HE"— 
"HE  will  abide  with  you  forever;  even  the  Spirit 
of  Truth,  whom   the   world   cannot   receive, 
because  it  seeth 
HIM  not,  neither  knoweth 
HIM,  but  ye  know 
HIM,  for 

HE  dwelleth  in  you. 
HE  shall  teach  you  all  things  and 
He  shall  testify  of  me.      When 
HE  is  come 

HE  will  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness, 
and  of  judgment. 

485 


THIS  IS  THAT 

HE  will  guide  you  into  all  truth. 
HE  will  not  speak  of  Himself. 
He  will  show  you  things  to  come  and 
HE  will  glorify  Me. 

Moreover,  we  know  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
Appoints  and  commissions  His  servants  Acts  13: 

(24),  Acts  20:28. 

He  directs  where  to  preach,  Acts  8  :29. 
He  suffers  Paul  not  to  go  to  Bithynia,  Acts  16 : 
(6-7). 

He  instructs  Paul  what  to  preach,  I  Cor.  2 :13. 
He  comforts,  Acts  9:31. 

Q.  3.  WHY  is  IT  VERY  NECESSARY  TO  BE  ABLE  TO 
PROVE,  WHEN  PREACHING  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE 
HOLY  SPIRIT  THAT  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  is  A  PERSON 

AND  NOT  AN   INFLUENCE? 

A.  Because  if  the  Holy  Spirit  were  merely  an 
influence,  He  could  be  received  in  portions,  and 
professors  would  be  justified  in  excusing  them- 
selves from  seeking  and  receiving  the  "ONE  bap- 
tism1' spoken  of  in  Eph.  4  :5,  by  saying,  "Well,  I 
have  received  a  measure  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  and 
would  confuse  the  many  anointings  of  the 
Spirit  with  the  "ONE  Baptism,"  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  would  be  considered,  for  instance  as  a  vessel 
of  water  which  could  be  received  measure  by  meas- 
ure, little  by  little.  This,  we  at  once  realize,  is  un- 
scriptural  when  compared  with  the  Baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  recorded  in  the  Word,  Acts  2:4, 
.Vets  8 :17,  Acts  10 :46,  Acts  19 :6. 

Immediately,  however,  when  one  recognizes  the 
fact  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  person,  one  realizes 
that  when  He  comes  in,  making  the  body  His 
temple,  He  comes  in  altogether  (not  a  portion  at 
one  time  and  a  portion  at  another),  and  that  one 
has  either  received  all  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  has 
received  none  of  Him,  i.  e.,  in  the  sense  of  His  per- 
sonal, literal  incoming.  There  may  be  many  an- 
ointings, but  only  "ONE  Baptism/' 

486 


TWENTY-FOUR  QUESTIONS  A  WOKKEK  IS  APT  TO  MEET 

Q.  4.  WAS  THE  COMING  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT, 
WITH  THE  ACCOMPANYING  OUTPOURING  OF  POWER 
PROMISED  IN  EITHER  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  OR  THE 
FOUR  GOSPELS  OF  THE  NEW? 

A.  Yes,  His  coming  was  promised  in  both  the 
Old  Testament  and  the  New — promised  by  both 
the  Father  and  the  Son. 

Q.  5.  WILL  You  PLEASE  SHOW  ME  WHERE  I 
CAN  FIND  A  FEW  OF  THESE  SCRIPTURES  WHICH 
REFER  TO  THE  DEFINITE  AND  LITERAL  COMING  OF 
THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  IN  THE  LAST  DAYS? 

A.  There  are  many  portions  of  scripture  refer- 
ring to  the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  but 
we  have  space  for  only  a  few  of  them  here.  In 
speaking  of  his  age, 

GOD  said,  through  the  prophet  Isaiah: 

"For  with  stammering  lips,  and  another 
tongue  will  He  speak  to  this  people,  to 
whom  He  hath  said,  This  is  the  rest  where- 
with ye  may  cause  the  weary  to  rest,  and 
this  is  the  refreshing;  yet  they  would  not 
hear.  Isa.  28:  (11-12). 
Isa.  28:  (11-12). 

Through  the  prophet  Joel : 

"Be  glad,  then,  ye  children  of  Zion,  and  re- 
joice in  the  Lord  your  God;  for  He  hath 
given  you  the  former  rain  moderately,  and 
He  Avill  cause  to  come  down  for  you  .the 
rain,  the  former  rain  and  the  latter  rain 
in  the  first  month. 

And  the  floors  shall  be  full  of  wheat,  and 
the  fats  shall  overflow  with  wine  and  oil." 
Joel  2:  (23-24). 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward,  that 
I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and 
your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall  proph- 
esy, your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams, 
your  young  men  shall  see  visions. 

487 


THIS  IS  THAT 

And  also  upon  the  servants  and  upon  the 
handmaids  in  those  days  will  I  pour  out  My 
Spirit."  Joel  2:  (28-29). 

Through  Zechariah: 

"Ask  ye  of  the  Lord  rain  in  the  time  of 
the  latter  rain;  so  the  Lord  shall  make 
bright  clouds,  and  give  them  showers  of 
rain,  to  every  one  grass  in  the  field."  Zech. 
10:1. 

Through  John  the  Baptist  : 

"I  indeed  baptize  you  with  the  water  unto 
repentance;  but  He  that  cometh  after  me 
is  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not 
worthy  to  bear:  He  shall  baptize  you  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire."  Mat.  3  :11. 

The    promises    in    the    Gospels    concerning    the 
coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  plentiful— 

JESU8  said: 

"Nevertheless,  I  tell  you  the  truth;  it  is 
expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away  :  for  if  I 
go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come 
unto  you;  but  if  I  depart,  -I  will  send  Him 
unto  you. 

And  when  He  is  come,  He  will  reprove,  the 
world  oft  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of 
judgment."  John  16  :  (  7-8  )  . 
"And  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall 
give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may 
abide  with  you  forever; 

Even  the  Spirit  of  truth  ;  whom  the  world 
cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth  Him  not, 
neither  knoweth  him  :  but  ye  knoAv  Him  ;  for 
He  dwelleth  WITH  you,  'and  shall  be  IX 
you."  But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My 
name,  He  shall  teach  you  all  tilings,  and 
bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  what- 
soever I  have  said  unto  ou."  John  14  : 


488 


TWENTY-FOUR  QUESTIONS  A  WORKER  IS  APT  TO  MEET 

"But  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I 
will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father,  even 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from 
the  Father,  He  shall  testify  of  Me: 
And  ye  also  shall  bear  witness,  because  ye 
have  been  with  Me  from  the  beginning." 
John  15:  (26-27). 

"If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give 
good  gifts  unto  your  children ;  how  much 
more  shall  your  heavenly  Father  give  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him?"  Luke 
11 :13. 

"And  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that 
believe:  In  My  name  shall  they  cast  out 
devils;  they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues; 
They  shall  take  up  serpents;  and  if  they 
drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt 
them;  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick,  and 
they  shall  recover."  Mark  16:  (17-18). 
"For  John  truly  baptized  with  water;  but 
ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
not  many  days  hence. 

But  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you;  and  ye  shall 
be  witnesses  unto  Me,  both  in  Jerusalem, 
and  in  all  Judaea,  and  in  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth." 
Acts  l:(5-8). 

"And  behold,  I  send  the  promise  of  My 
Father  upon  you  :  but  tarry  ye  in  the  city 
of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  with 
power  from  on  high."  Luke  24:49. 

Q.  6.  How  CAN  You  POSITIVELY  KNOW  THAT 
ISAIAH  WAS  EEFERRING  TO  THIS  BAPTISM  OF  THE 
HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  THE  SPEAKING  IN  TONGUES  IN 
ISAIAH  28:11?  WHEN  HE  EEFERS  TO  STAMMERING 
LIPS  AND  ANOTHER  TONGUE? 

A.     Because  Paul  plainly  tells  us  so  in  I  Cor. 

489 


THIS  IS  THAT 

14:  (21-22)  :  "In  the  law  it  is  written,  With  men 
of  other  tongues  and  other  lips  will  I  speak  unto 
this  people;  and  yet  for  all  that  will  they  not  hear 
Me,  saith  the  Lord. 

Wherefore  tongues  are  for  a  sign,  not  to  them 
that  believe,  but  to  them  that  believe  not;  but 
prophesying  serveth  not  for  them  that  believe  not, 
but  for  them  which  believe." 

Q.  7.  .  How  DO  You  KNOW  THAT  THIS  BAPTISM 
OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT,  AS  KECORDED  IN  THE  BOOK  OF 
ACTS  is  THE  ONE  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST  REFERRED  TO? 
(Mat.  3:11). 

A.  Because  Jesus  Himself  makes  this  plain 
by  His  words  recorded  in  Acts  1:5. 

Q.  8.  HOAV  DO  You  KNOW  THAT  THE  DISCIPLES 
DID  NOT  RECEIVE  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  WHEN  JESUS 
BREATHED  UPON  THEM?  (John  20:22.) 

A.  Because  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  yet  given  ; 
Jesus  Himself  plainly  states  that  before  the  Holy 
Spirit  could  be  sent  He  (Jesus)  must  ascend  on 
high  and  pray  the  Father  that  He  would  send  the 
Comforter  (John  16:7)  ;  also  the  last  words  Jesus 
spoke  before  the  clouds  received  Him  out  of  their 
sight  prove  this  statement  beyond  a  doubt,  for  the 
Word  reads  : 

"And  being  assembled  together  with  them, 
commanded  them  that  they  should  not  de- 
part from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the  prom- 
ise of  the  Father,  which,  saith  He,  ye  have 
heard  of  me:" 

"But  ye  shall  receive  power,  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you  :  and  ye  shall 
be  witnesses  unto  me,  both  in  Jerusalem, 
and  in  all  Judaea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto 
the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth."  Acts 


490 


TWENTY-FOUR  QUESTIONS  A  WORKER  IS  APT  TO  MEET 

Q.  9.  WHAT  DID  JESUS  MEAN,  THEN,,  WHEN 
HE  BREATHED  UPON  THEM  AND  SAID:  "RECEIVE 
YE  THE  HOLY  GHOST"? 

A.  He  Avas  merely  commanding  them,  as  He 
had  in  many  other  places,  such  as  Luke  24:49, 
Acts  1 :4,  etc.,  to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  whom 
they  were  to  tarry  until  He  was  sent  from  the 
Father. 

Q.  10.  WHAT  is  THE  OFFICE  WORK  OF  THE 
HOLY  SPIRIT? 

A.  His  office  work  is  three-fold — (I)  to  the 
sinner;  (II)  to  the  new  born -again  soul;  (III)  to 
the  baptized  believer. 

(I)     His  office  work  to  the  sinner  is 

a.  to  convict  and  reprove  him  of  his  sin. 
(John  16:8.) 

b.  To  show  him  his  true  condition  as  de- 
scribed in  Isaiah  1:6. 

c.  To  prick  the  sinner  to  his  heart,  as  He 
did  in  Acts  2 :37. 

d.  To  draw  him  to  Jesus.      ( John  6 :44. ) 

(II).  His  office  work  to  the  newly  born  again 
soul  is — 

a.     To  bear  witness  when  the  work  is  done. 
(The   Spirit  itself  beareth   witness   with 

our    spirit,    that    we    are    the    children    of 
God.    Kom.  8:16.) 

(He  that  believeth  on  the  Sou  of  God 
hath  the  witness  in  himself:  he  that  be- 
lieveth not  God  hath  made  Him  a  liar; 

because  he  believeth  not  the  record  that 
God  gave  of  His  Son."  I.  John  5:10.) 
In  other  words,  He  who  was  with  the 
sinner  to  convict  him  of  sin,  is  now  still 
with  the  young  Christian  rejoicing  with 
him  that  the  work  is  done,  and  endeavor- 
ing to  lead  him  on  to  the  place  where  he 
may  receive  the  promise  of  the  Lord 

491 


THIS  IS  THAT 

which   said:     "He  dwelleth   WITH  you, 
and  shall  be  IN  you."    John  14 :17. 
b.     To  baptize  him  with  the  Holy  Spirit  ac- 
cording to  Acts  2:4. 

(Ill)    His  office  work  in  the  baptized  believer — 

a.  He  is  a  teacher.    John  14  :26. 

b.  He  testifies  of  Christ.    John  15 :26. 

c.  He  guides.    John  16 :13. 

d.  He  glorifies  Christ.     John  16:14. 

e.  He  comforts.    Acts  9:31. 

f .  He  searches  deep  things.    I  Cor.  2 :10. 

g.  Our  helper  in   prayer.     Read   Romans 
8 :26,  also  I.  Cor.  14 :2. 

Q.  11.  Is  IT  THE  PRIVILEGE  OF  EVERY  BELIEVER 
OF  TODAY  TO  RECEIVE  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT? 

A.  Yes,  Acts  2: (38-39),  "Then  Peter  said  unto 
them,  Repent,  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

"For  the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  chil- 
dren, and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as 
the  Lord  our  God  shall  call." 

The  gifts  of  God  are  without  repentance;  Jesus 
said:  "And  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall 
give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  abide 
with  you  forever."  John  14:16. 

Q.  12.  Is  IT  NECESSARY  FOR  EVERY  CHILD  OF 
GOD  TO  RECEIVE  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT, 
EVEN  THOUGH  GREATLY  USED  OF  GOD  IN  THE  PAST 
IN  SOUL-WlNNING,  HEALING,,  CASTING  OUT  OF 
DEMONS,  ETC.? 

A.  Yes,  Peter  and  other  disciples,  though  great- 
ly used  in  this  way,  still  needed  the  Holy  Spirit 
and  enduement  of  power  that  should  not  be  as  an 
anointing  that  should  lift,  but  a  baptism  that 
should  abide. 

492 


TWENTY-FOUR  QUESTIONS  A  WORKER  IS  APT  TO  MEET 

Q.  13.  CAN  ONE  RECEIVE  THIS  BAPTISM  MORE 
THAN  ONCE? 

A.  No,  there  is  but  one  Lord,  one  faith,  and 
ONE  BAPTISM.  There  are  many  anointings,  but 
ONE  Baptism. 

Q.  14.  Is  THERE  ANY  WAY  BY  WHICH  THE 
SEEKER  MAY  KNOW  WHEN  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 
COMES  IN  TO  TAKE  UP  His  ABODE?  IF  so,  How? 

A.  Yes,  this  ONE  BAPTISM,  which  comes 
but  ONCE  to  a  person,  is  far  too  precious  and 
wonderful  to  be  left  without  a  mark  or  seal  by 
which  it  may  be  known  without  the  possibility  of  a 
doubt,  and  sought  for  until  consciously  received. 

It  will  be  made  known  by  the  speaking  in 
OTHER  TONGUES  (languages),  as  the  Spirit 
gives  utterance. 

Q.  15.  WILL  ALL  WHO  RECEIVE  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT  SPEAK  IN  OTHER  TONGUES  TODAY  AS  IN  THE 
BIBLE  DAYS? 

A.  Yes,  there  is  but  ONE  BAPTISM.  The 
pattern  for  this  Baptism  has  not  changed,  but  is 
the  same  today  as  when  first  outpoured  in  apos- 
tolic days. 

Q.  16.  DID  ALL  WHO  RECEIVED  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT  IN  THE  BIBLE  DAYS  SPEAK  WITH  TONGUES? 
IF  so,  WHERE  WILL  I  FIND  THE  SCRIPTURES  RE- 
LATING TO  THE  EXPERIENCE? 

A.     Yes,   Scriptures   can   be   found   as   follows : 
Acts  2 :4 :     "And  they  were  all  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak  with  other 
tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance." 
Acts  8:  (17-18)  :  "Then  laid  they  their  hands 
on  them,  and  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost. 
And  when  Simon  saw  that  through  laying 
on  of  the  apostles'  hands  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  given,  he  offered  them  money." 

493 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Acts  19 :46 :    "For  they  heard  them  speak  with 

tongues  and  magnify  God." 
Acts   19:6:     "And   when   Paul   had   laid   his 

hands  upon  them,  the  Holy  Ghost  came  on 

them;   and   they   spake   with   tongues,   and 

prophesied." 

Q.  17.  TAKING  THE  STAND  THAT  You  DO,  How 
DO  You  EXPLAIN  THAT  IN  ONE  INSTANCE  OUT  OF 
THE  FOUR,  viz.  ACTS  8:17,  IT  DOES  NOT  STATE  IN 
so  MANY  WORDS  THAT  THE  PEOPLE  OF  SAMARIA 
SPOKE  WITH  TONGUES  WHEN  THEY  RECEIVED  THE 
HOLY  SPIRIT? 

A.  Because  if  the  believers  during  the  eight 
years  between  the  2nd  and  8th  chapters  of  Acts 
all  spoke  in  tongues  when  they  received  the  Holy 
Spirit,  it  would  be  superfluous  to  mention  the 
speaking  in  tongues  in  every  case. 

For  instance,  today  we  write  a  report  or  make 
a  statement  that,  say,  "ten  received  the  Baptism 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  last  Sunday  night."  We  do  not 
deem  it  necessary  to  add  "And  they  all  spoke  in 
tongues,"  because  this  is  taken  for  granted. 

Or,  in  announcing  that  Mr.  B.  and  Miss  D.  were 
married  last  week,  we  do  not  consider  it  necessary 
to  add  that  a  minister  performed  the  ceremony 
and  a  license  was  granted.  If  the  fact  of  the  be- 
lievers having  received  the  Holy  Spirit  is  ques- 
tioned or  doubted,  however,  as  it  was  in  the  10th 
chapter  of  Acts,  where  during  the  preaching  of 
Peter  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  the  Gentiles,  it  is 
mentioned  as  convincing  evidence: 

"For  they  heard  them  speak  with  tone/ties  and 
magnify  God/'  just  as  if  the  legality  of  a  wedding 
ceremony  is  questioned,  the  marriage  certificate 
and  the  name  of  the  minister  are  brought  forth  as 
convincing  proof. 

Besides,  we  may  settle  it  that  the  incoming  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  attended  by  unmistakable, 

494 


TWENTY-FOUR  QUESTIONS  A  WORKER  IS  APT  TO  MEET 

miraculous,  outward  evidence,  or  this  old  Jew, 
Simon  the  Sorcerer,  who  was  "in  the  gall  of  bitter- 
ness and  the  bond  of  iniquity"  would  not  have 
wondered  at  it  and  offered  money  for  the  powrer 
to  bestow  this  gift. 

Then,  too,  wre  know  that  the  Bible  does  not  in 
so  many  words  state  that  Paul  spoke  Avith  tongues 
when  he  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  yet  we  have 
unmistakable  evidence  that  he  did,  for  in  I.  Cor. 
14:18,  he  said:  "I  thank  my  God  I  speak  with 
tongues  more  than  you  all." 

Q.  18.  WHAT  DID  PAUL  MEAN  WHEN,  IN  I. 
COR.  12:30,  HE  SAID:  "Do  ALL  SPEAK  WITH 
TONGUES?" 

A.  Paul  is  referring  throughout  this  entire 
chapter  to  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  and  is  here  re- 
ferring directly,  amongst  other  gifts,  to  the  gift 
of  tongues,  which  is  subject  to  the  prophets,  as 
proven  by  the  14th  chapter,  27th  and  28th  verses, 
and  not  to  the  Bible  evidence  (speaking  with 
tongues),  which  bursts  forth  as  the  Spirit  gives 
utterance,  as  in  Acts  2  :4. 

Q.  Is  THERE  ANY  DIFFERENCE,  THEN,  BE- 
TWEEN THE  SPEAKING  WITH  TONGUES  AS  THE 
BIBLE  EVIDENCE  OF  THE  INCOMING  OF  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT,  AND  THE  GIFT  OF  TONGUES? 

A.  Yes,  all  who  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  speak 
with  tongues,  but  not  all  receive  the  gift  of  tongues 
(or  power  to  speak  at  will).  It  is  of  this  latter 
gift  Paul  is  speaking  when  he  says : 

"For  if  I  pray  in  an  unknown  tongue,  my 
spirit  prayeth,  but  my  understanding  is  un- 
fruitful. What  is  it  then? 

I  WILL  pray  with  the  Spirit  and 
I  WILL  pray  with  the  understanding  also; 
I  WILL  sing  with  the  spirit,  and 
I  WILL  sing  with  the  understanding  also. 

I.  Cor.  14:  (14-15). 

495 


THIS  IS  THAT 

This  means  he  will  sing  and  pray  in  tongues  (in 
the  Spirit),  which  he  does  not  understand,  and 
also  in  his  understanding,  (that  is  with  his  own 
language).  And  when  he  says: 

"If  any  man  speak  in  an  unknown  tongue, 
let  it  be  by  two,  or  at  the  most  by  three,  and 
that  by  course ;  and  let  one  interpret. 

"But  if  there  be  no  interpreter,  let  him  keep 
silence  in  the  church;  and  let  him  speak  to 
himself  (softly),  and  to  God,"  (I.  Cor.  14: 
27-28), 

he  is  speaking  to  saints  who  have  already  received 
the  Spirit  and  spoken  in  tongues. 

Q.  20.  WAS  PAUL  DISCREDITING  OR  BELITTLING 
THE  SPEAKING  IN  TONGUES  IN  ANY  WAY  WHEN, 
SETTING  THE  CHURCH  IN  ORDER  (I.  COR.  14:19), 
HE  SAYS:  "!N  THE  CHURCH  I  HAD  RATHER  SPEAK 
FIVE  WORDS  WITH  MY  UNDERSTANDING  THAN  TEN 
THOUSAND  WORDS  IN  AN  UNKNOWN  TONGUE"? 

A.  Not  at  all,  for  he  has  just  stated  that  he 
speaks  in  tongues  more  than  they  all,  and  has  said : 

"7  would  that  ye  all  spoke  loith  tongues  (verse 
5).  He  commands  the  brethren  to— 

"Forbid  not  to  speak  icith  tongues"  (verse  38). 

He  is  exhorting  the  people,  rather,  to  covet  to 
prophesy,  and  bids  them — 

"Let  he  who  speaketh  in  an  unknoicn  tongue 
pray  that  he  may  interpret"  explaining  that  the 
one  who  speaks  in  prophecy  and  the  one  who  in- 
terprets are  on  an  equal  footing  of  edification  to 
the  church  (verse  5).  Were  a  whole  sermon 
preached  in  tongues,  and  did  no  interpretation 
follow,  it  would  be  uninstructive  and  unedifying. 

Q.  21.  IF  IT  is  LEARNED  THAT  THERE  is  NO  IN- 
TERPRETER IN  THE  CHURCH,  SHOULD  THE  SPEAKER, 
IF  HE  FEELS  THE  POWER  UPON  HIM,  CONTINUE  TO 
SPEAK  ON  AND  ON  ALOUD  IN  TONGUES? 

496 


TWENTY-FOUR  QUESTIONS  A  WORKER  IS  APT  TO  MEET 

A.  No.  "If  there  be  no  interpreter  let  him 
keep  silence  in  the  church,  and  speak  to  himself 
(that  is  softly,  under  his  breath,  so  as  not  to  in- 
terrupt the  preacher),  "and  to  God." 

Q.  22.  DOES  THIS  MEAN  THAT  No  ONE  SHOULD 
EVER  SPEAK  ALOUD  IN  TONGUES  IN  AN  ASSEMBLY 
WHERE  THERE  is  No  ONE  UPON  WHOM  THE  GIFT 
OF  INTERPRETATION  HAS  BEEN  BESTOWED? 

A.  No,  because  in  the  22nd  verse  of  the  chapter 
Paul  declares  that  tongues  (not  interpretation 
alone,  but  tongues)  are  a  sign  ...  to  them  that 
believe  not,  Paul,  in  setting  the  Corinthian  church 
in  order,  merely  instructs  those  who  speak  much 
in  tongues  to  speak  (softly)  to  themselves  and  to 
God,  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  exhorter,  when  they 
find  the  message  is»  not  being  interpreted,  and  fur- 
ther, Paul  advises  such  an  one  to  pray  that  he 
may  interpret,  that  the  church  may  receive  edify- 
ing, explaining  that  greater  is  he  that  prophesieth 
than  he  who  speaketh  with  tongues,  except  he  in- 
terpret, that  the  church  may  receive  edifying. 

Q.  23.  Is  THE  SPEAKING  IN  TONGUES  GIVEN  TO 
THE  CHURCH  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  ENABLING  THEM 
TO  PREACH  TO  FOREIGNERS,  USING  THESE  OTHER 
TONGUES  INSTEAD  OF  LEARNING  THE  LANGUAGE? 

A.  No.  There  is  no  record  in  the  Bible  of 
tongues  being  used  to  preach  in  other  languages 
after  the  day  of  Pentecost.  We  are  told  that 
the  apostle  Paul  spoke  with  tongues  more  than 
all  the  others,  yet  it  is  nowhere  hinted  that  he  ever 
used  the  gift  to  preach  in  another  language  at 
will.  He  may  have  done  so,  however,  even  as  many 
have  been  enabled  to  speak  to  foreigners  in  this 
day  under  a  mighty  enduement  of  the  Spirit,  The 
Scripture,  however,  plainly  states  that  it  is  an 
unknown  tongue,  and  that  he  who  speaketh  in  an 
unknown  tongue  speaketh  not  unto  men,  but  unto 
God,  for  no  man  understandeth  him,  howbeit  in 
the  Spirit  he  speaketh  mysteries. 

497 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Q.  24.  JUST  WHAT  SHOULD  BE  THE  ATTITUDE 
OF  THE  SEEKER  AS  HE  TARRIES  FOR  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT?  - 

A.     His  attitude  should  be  one  of: 
Prayerful  waiting  upon  God,  and  of 
Praiseful  expectancy  that  believes  the  Lord  im- 
plicitly and  takes  Him  at  His  word. 

When  the  amazed  onlookers,  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost, pricked  to  their  hearts  as  they  SAW   (in 
the  staggering  bodies,  Acts  2:13)  and  HEARD  (in 
the  speaking  in  tongues,  Acts  2:4-6)   cried  out  to 
Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  apostles:     "What  shall 
we  do?"  Peter,  in  simple  Avords,  said  unto  them: 
"Repent,  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost."  * 

First  of  all  make  sure  you  are  washed  in  the 
precious  blood  of  Jesus ;  make  a  Avhole-hearted,  un- 
conditional surrender  and  consecration  to  Him 
who  gave  Himself  for  you.  Then,  as  you  praise 
Him  with  a  pure  heart,  lifting  up  holy  hands, 
claiming  the  Promise,  He  will  come  into  His 
temple  to  abide. 

"Be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the 
King  of  Glory  shall  come  in." 

"Open  your  mouth  wide  and  I  will  fill  it,"  saith 
the  Lord.  Remember,  the  promise  is  unto  you, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call,  and 
every  one  that  asketh  receiveth. 

This  filling  may  be  at  meeting  when  amongst  the 
saints,  or  in  your  own  home  as  you  wait  upon 
Him  in  secret  communion,  or  as  you  go  about  your 
work.  The  land  of  Caanan  is  before  you — and 
Jesus  is  coming  soon  for  his  Spirit-filled  Bride. 
Amen. 


498 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  CHRIST. 

IF  I  GO  AWAY  I  WILL  COME  AGAIN. 

ALL  down  through  the  long  centuries  there 
had  been  a  faithful  few  who  believed  God's 
word  implicitly,  and  looked  forward  to  the 
hope  of  the  soon  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
from  Heaven.  With  longing  hearts  and  unassuaged 
zeal  did  they  look  for  Him,  knowing  that  He  who 
was  to  come  would  come  and  would  not  tarry,  for 
this  God  had  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  His  holy  proph- 
ets since  the  world  began.  Many  indeed  cried  out : 

"Where  is  the  hope  of  His  coming?  All  through 
our  lives,  and  the  lives  of  our  forefathers  have  we 
heard  His  soon  coming  prophesied,  till  now  they 
slumber  in  the  dust,  and  still  He  is  not  come. 
Surely  you  wait  in  vain.  Strain  your  eyes  no 
longer  in  searching  the  heavens  for  the  sign  of  His 
coining;  come  eat,  drink  and  be  merry  in  this 
world  with  us." 

But  through  all  the  stream  of  unbelief  and  silent 
years,  their  faith  neither  waned  nor  faltered.  Their 
eyes  of  faith  were  still  undimmed,  and  they  looked 
toward  the  heavens  with  untiring  hope  for  the 
coining  of  the  Christ,  their  Messiah. 

Then — to  His  faithful  few,  God  began  to  reveal 
that  the  time  was  at  hand,  and  that  the  Lord  was 
near,  even  at  the  door.  In  Jerusalem  there  was  a 
man  whose  name  was  Simeon,  who  was  just  and 
devout,  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  Christ.  It 
was  revealed  to  him,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he 
should  not  see  death  before  he  had  seen  the  Lord. 
Anna,  the  prophetess,  and  many  others  whose  eyes 
were  anointed,  began  to  rejoice  with  great  joy  as 
the  signs  were  fulfilled  all  about  them,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  witnessed,  not  the  day  nor  the  hour, 
but  that  the  coming  of  the  Lord  was  at  hand. 

499 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"And  there  were  in  the  same  country,  shepherds  abiding 
in  the  fields,  keeping  watch  over  their  flock  by  night.  And, 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  shone  round  about  them,  and  they  were  sore  afraid. 
And  the  angel  said  unto  them,  Fear  not;  for,  behold,  I  bring 
you  good  tidings  of  great  joy  .  .  .  Unto  you  is  born 
this  day  ...  a  Saviour,  which  is  Christ,  the  Lord 
.  .  .  Ye  shall  find  the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes, 
lying  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly,  there  was  with  the  angel, 
a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host,  praising  God,  and  saying, 
Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will 
toward  men. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  the  angels  were  gone  away  from 
them  into  heaven,  the  shepherds  said  one  to  another,  Let  us 
go  ...  and  see  this  thing  which  the  Lord  hath  made 
known  to  us.  And  they  went  with  haste,  and  found  Mary 
and  Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying  in  a  manger." — Luke  2:  (8-16). 

And  behold,  there  came  wise  men  from  the  east,  saying, 
where  is  He  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews?  for  we  have  seen 
His  star  in  the  east,  and  are  come  to  worship  Him.  And  lo, 
the  star  which  they  saw  in  the  east,  went  before  them  till  it 
came  and  stood  over  where  the  young  child  was.  When  they 
saw  the  star  they  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy. — Matt. 
2:1,  2,  9,  10. 

On  and  on  they  trudged,  all  unmindful  of  their 
footsore  and  weary  condition;  the  long  years  of 
waiting  seemed  but  as  a  day  now.  On  they  hast- 
ened, over  the  hills  and  through  the  valleys,  bring- 
ing with  them  their  treasures  and  gifts,  gold, 
frankincense  and  myrrh.  Still  on  they  hastened, 
spreading  the  joyful  news  and  bearing  witness  in 
their  eager  search  in  the  country  and  in  the  city, 
till  at  last  they  found  Him,  and  fell  down  and  wor- 
shipped Him,  opened  their  treasures  and  present- 
ing to  Him  their  gifts.  God  had  fulfilled  his  prom- 
ise and  the  weary  ones  were  rewarded,  for — THE 

CHRIST  HAD  COME. 

All  this  happened  over  nineteen  hundred  years 
ago,  and  now  the  hands  on  the  great  clock  of  time 
have  revolved  until  they  point  to  the  hour  of  the 
second  coming  of  the  Christ  foretold  by  His  Word. 
As  the  angel  spoke  unto  the  shepherds  of  old  of 
the  first  coming  of  the  Lord;  and  as  the  angels 
spoke  to  the  watching  multitude  of  His  second 
coming  saying,  "This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken 
up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like 
manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven"  (Acts 

500 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  CHRIST 

1:17)  they  are  again  appearing  today  to  announce 
the  soon  coming  of  the  Christ. 

Ever  since  that  day  Jesus  Himself  told  the  dis- 
ciples that  He  would  return  and  that  wars  and 
rumors  of  wars,  plagues,  pestilences,  blood,  fire 
and  vapors  of  smoke;  nation  rising  against  nation, 
famines  and  earthquakes  would  be  the  sign  of  His 
coming  (Mat.  24)  eager  longing  hearts  of  a  faith- 
ful few  have  looked  and  yearned  for  His  appear- 
ance. To  be  sure,  many  have  cried  in  derision : 
" Where  is  the  sign  of  His  coming?  For  years  we 
have  heard  it  foretold  that  His  coming  was  nigh, 
our  forefathers  who  preached  His  second  coming- 
no  w  slumber  in  their  graves,  and  still  He  is  not 
come.  Let  us  eat,  drink  and  give  in  marriage; 
His  coming  is  not  near." 

But  today  as  in  the  days  of  old,  the  Lord  is  re- 
vealing to  His  faithful  few  that  His  coming  is 
near — even  at  the  doors.  "For  the  Lord  himself 
shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the 
voice  of  the  archangel  and  with  the  trump  of  God 
The  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first,  then  we  which 
are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together 
with  them  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air  and  so  shall 
we  be  ever  with  the  Lord."  Again  today  anointed 
eyes  see  the  signs  of  His  coming  fulfilled  with 
unmistakable  vividness  on  every  hand. 

Shepherds  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  -watch 
over  their  flock  through  the  long  night  while  the 
light  of  the  world  is  absent,  have  looked  long  and 
earnestly  with  unutterable  desire  towards  the  east 
for  the  rising  of  the  sun  of  righteousness  who 
would  dispel  all  darkness.  At  His  first  coming 
a  star  had  appeared,  but  now  they  look  for  the  sun 
of  righteousness  to  arise  and  as  the  sun  outshines 
the  star,  so  shall  His  second  coming  outshine  his 
first  appearing,  for  this  time  He  will  not  appear 
wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes  and  in  a  manger, 
but  will  march  forth  triumphant,  his  kingly  robes 

501 


THIS  IS  THAT 

upon  Him,  His  scepter  in  His  hand — a  king  vic- 
torious— the  hope  and  reward  of  His  people. 

Already  the  hearts  of  the  shepherds  are  flooding 
with  joy,  for  the  heavens  are  filling  with  the  first 
rays  of  morning  dawn.  The  long  night  of  silent 
waiting  and  longing  is  almost  over,  and  again  they 
see  His  sign  in  the  East. 

Wise  men,  wise  not  as  this  world  counts  wisdom, 
but  wise  with  the  wisdom  that  cometh  down  from 
above  are  looking  for  and  hastening  unto  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord.  Even  as  the  wise  men  of  old  left 
their  flocks  and  ran  to  meet  the  Lord  with  treas- 
ures of  gold,  frankincense  and  myrrh;  so  the  wise 
virgins  today  leave  the  foolish  virgins  behind  and 
go  out  quickly  to  meet  him,  carrying  the  treas- 
ures of  gold,  the  divine  nature  of  Jesus,  and  the 
frankincense  of  acceptability  to  God  and  praises, 
and  myrrh  with  its  fragrance,  and  bitterness  of 
suffering  with  Him  that  they  might  also  reign 
with  Him — that  having  known  Him  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  His  sufferings  they  may  now  know  Him  in 
the  power  of  His  resurrection. 

Beloved,  awake  and  see  His  light  from  afar  off. 
Eise  and  go  out  to  meet  the  coming  Christ,  for  He 
is  near — even  at  the  doors.  He  is  coming,  and  is 
even  now  approaching  the  portals  of  this  world. 
He  shall  sweep  back  the  heavens  as  a  scroll  and 
those  who  are  ready  shall  rise  to  meet  Him  in  the 
air.  Already  the  whole  earth  is  being  taxed  even 
as  it  was  at  the  birth  of  Christ  when  Joseph  and 
Mary  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  pay  taxes.  Every 
sign  is  fulfilled,  history  is  repeating  itself  and  as 
soon  as  He  is  come  and  taken  his  waiting  ones 
away,  tribulation  will  sweep  over  this  world,  as  it 
did  after  His  first  coming.  Even  now  the  voice  of 
Rachel  is  heard  lamenting  and  wailing  for  her 
dead  children,  slain  by  the  sword  of  evil  rulers. 

Awake!  Arise!  go  ye  out  to  meet  the  coming 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

502 


THE  INQUIRER  AND  THE  WORD  TALK 
TOGETHER  OF  HIS  COMING. 

"If  ye  will  enquire,  enquire  ye."  Isa.  21:12. 

INQUIRER:  I  have  heard  it  said  that  you  have 
made  many  statements  and  contain  much  teaching 
regarding  the  literal  return  of  our  Lord  to  this 
earth  again.  Is  this  report  true? 

-THE  WORD.  Absolutely  true.  Within  the  260 
chapters  of  my  New  Testament  alone  there  are 
318  references  to  the  coming  of  the  Lord,  i.  e. 
practically  one  out  of  every  twenty-five  verses. 

INQ.  Speak  to  my  heart,  O  Word  of  God,  some 
simple  word  of  the  Master,  whereby  I  may  know 
that  He  is  really  coming. 

THE  WORD.  "If  I  go  away  ...  I  will  come 
again.77  These  were  the  words  of  Jesus  to  His  dis- 
ciples. (John  14:3).  Did  He  go  away? 

INQ.  Yes.  "While  they  beheld  He  was  taken 
up  and  a  cloud  received  Him  out  of  their  sight. 
(Acts.  1:9.) 

THE  WORD.     Then  He  is  coming  again. 

INQ.  But  does  this  not  mean  that  Jesus  is  here 
now — first  in  our  hearts  as  revealed  by  the  Holy 
Spirit?  Second  in  our  midst  Avherever  two  or 
three  are  gathered  together  in  His  name?  and 
thirdly,  refer  to  His  coming  for  us  at  death? 

THE  WORD.  No,  Jesus,  who  is  soon  to  come  in 
the  clouds  of  glory,  is  now  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father.  (Rom.  8:34.)  'Tis  the  Holy  Spirit  who 
has  come  to  reveal  Jesus  during  His  absence  and 
prepare  us  for  His  coming.  He  reveals  Jesus  in 
the  heart  (Jn.  14:23),  in  the  midst  of  the  congre- 
gation (I  Cor.  14),  and  lifts  us,  when  life  and 
death  are  over,  into  His  presence  (Rom.  8:11). 

503 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Speaking  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Jesus  said:  "I  will 
not  leave  you  comfortless."  (Jn.  14:16.)  "But 
when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send 
you  from  the  Father  .  .  .  He  shall  testify  of 
Me."  (Jn.  15:26.)  Then,  too,  He  plainly  said: 
"It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away,  for  if  I 
go  not  away  the  Comforter  will  not  come  to  you, 
but  if  I  depart  I  will  send  Him  unto  you."  (Jn. 
16:7.) 

These  scriptures  make  it  plain  that  it  is  the 
Spirit  who  is  with  us  today,  while  if  you  will  turn 
my  pages  to  I  Thess.,  the  4th  chapter,  16th  and 
17th  verses,  you  will  plainly  see  that  "the  Lord 
Himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout 
and  with  the  voice  of  an  archangel,  and  with  the 
trump  of  God:  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise 
first:  then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  shall  be 
caught  up  together  with  them  in  the  clouds,  to 
meet  the  Lord  in  the  air."  We  read  also  (Mat. 
24:30)  that  we  "shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and  great 
glory." 

INQ.  Yes,  yes.  Your  teachings  have  made  it 
plain  to  me  that  this  Jesus  who  ascended  to  the 
Father  and  poured  out  the  Holy  Spirit  (the  Com- 
forter who  was  to  abide  during  His  absence)  is  to 
come  again.  But  what  will  be  the  manner  of  His 
coming?  You  surely  do  not  mean,  as  some  have 
understood  you  to  say — that  He  will  come  back  in 
the  body — the  same,  real,  tangible  Jesus  who  went 
away? 

THE  WORD.  Yes,  I  mean  just  that.  This  same 
Jesus  who  was  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven 
shall  so  come,  in  like  manner  a$  ye  have  seen  Him 
r/o  into  heaven.  (Acts  1:11.) 

THIS  SAME  JESUS  who  was  taken  up — not  another 
Jesus  whose  body  was  destroyed,  and  who  is  naught 
but  spirit,  as  many  suppose,  but  the  same  Jesus, 
the  one  who,  after  His  resurrection,  said :  "Handle 

504 


THE  INQUIRER  AND  THE  WORD  TALK  TOGETHER,   ETC. 

me  and  see"  ( Lu.  24  :39 ) ,  who  talked  and  walked 
with  His  disciples,  and  who  did  take  a  piece  of  a 
broiled  fish  and  an  honey  comb  and  did  eat  before 
them.  (Lu.  24:15,  42,  43.)  This  same  Jesus,  who 
shall  drink  anew  with  us  the  wine  in  His  Father's 
Kingdom,  the  real,  literal  Jesus  who  was  taken 
up  from  you  into  heaven, 

SHALL  so  COME.  He  who  said,  "I  am  the  Lord,  I 
change  not,  will  be  seen  by  His  ready,  waiting  peo- 
ple just  as  He  was  when  He  went  away. 
IN  LIKE  MANNER — When  the  company  of  faithful 
disciples  who  watched  His  ascension  into  heaven, 
hear  the  trump  of  God  and  rise  from  their  tombs 
(I  Thess.  4:16)  their  eyes  shall  behold  the  same 
Lord  descending  in  the  same  form  as  that  in  which 
they  did  see  Him  go. 

INQ.  Will  His  feet  touch  the  earth  again  at  this 
next  coming? 

THE  WORD.  No,  not  at  this  time.  Those  who 
are  ready  shall  rise  to  meet  Him  in  the  clouds. 
(I  Thess.  4:17.)  He  shall  return  later  bringing 
His  saints  with  Him.  (Jude  14.)  Then  shall  ap- 
pear the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven,  and 
then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and 
they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds 
of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory.  Then  shall 
His  feet  touch  upon  the  top  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives  ( Zech.  14 :4 )  and  it  "shall  cleave  in  the 
midst  thereof  toward  the  east  and  toward  the 
west,  and  there  shall  be  a  very  great  valley." 

INQ.  What  of  the  sinful  people  of  the  earth  and 
those  who  are  unprepared,  will  they  see  Jesus  at 
His  next  coming  when  He  appears  in  the  clouds  of 
glory? 

THE  W7ORD.  No,  only  those  who  die  ready  and 
watching.  He  shall  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night. 
(Mat.  24:43.)  "Two  women  shall  be  grinding  at 
the  mill,  one  shall  be  taken  and  the  other  left,  two 

505 


THIS  IS  THAT 

shall  be  sleeping  in  one  bed,  one  shall  be  taken 
and  the  other  left."     (Mat.  24:40,  41.) 

It  is  at  His  final  return,  when  He  conies  to  set 
up  His  kingdom  and  reign  a  thousand  years  (Rev. 
20:4)  that  every  eye  shall  see  Him.  (Rev.  1:7.) 

INQ.  Is  it  possible  to  know  the  day  and  the 
hour  of  His  return? 

THE  WORD.  Of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no 
man,  no  not  the  angels  of  Heaven,  but  the  Father 
only.  For  as  in  the  days  that  were  before  the 
flood,  they  were  eating  and  drinking,  and  marrying 
and  giving  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah 
took  them  all  away,  so  shall  also  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man  be/  (Mat.  24:38,  39.) 

INQ.  You  see  that  we  will  not  know  the  day  nor 
the  hour,  but  is  it  not  given  to  us  to  know  the 
seasons? 

THE  WORD.  Yes.  "Of  the  times  and  the  sea- 
sons ...  ye  have  no  need  that  I  write  unto 
you,"  for  "ye  are  not  in  darkness,  that  that  day 
should  overtake  you  as  a  thief."  (I  Thess.  5:1,4.) 
There  are  manifold  signs  given  through  my  pages, 
whereby  ye  may  know  when  the  season  is  nigh. 

INQ.  Tell  me,  Oh  thou  light  unto  my  path,  thou 
blest  lamp  unto  my  feet,  when  shall  these  things 
be  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming? 

THE  WORD.  Many  shall  come,  saying,  I  am 
Christ,  and  shall  deceive  many.  Ye  shall  hear  of 
wars  and  rumors  of  wars.  Nation  shall  rise 
against  nation,  kingdom  against  kingdom;  there 
shall  be  blood  and  fire  and  vapor  of  smoke.  (Joel 
2:30,  31.) 

There  shall  be  famines  and  pestilences  and 
earthquakes  in  divers  places.  When  they  cry  peace 
and  safety,  then  shall  sudden  destruction  come 
upon  them. 

Iniquity  shall  abound,  the  love  of  many  shall 
wax  cold.  Then  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false 
prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs  and  Avonders 

506 


THE  INQUIRER  AND  THE  WORD  TALK  TOGETHER,  ETC. 

insomuch  that  if  it  were  possible  they  should  de- 
ceive the  very  elect. 

Then,  too,  when  the  fig  tree  putteth  forth  her 
leaves  ye  know  that  summer  is  nigh,  so  likewise, 
when  ye  see  these  things  come  to  pass,  ye  know 
that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  now  nigh  at  hand 
(Lu.  21:31).  In  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will 
pour  out  My  Spirit  upon  all  flesh!  your  sons  and 
your  daughters  shall  prophesy. 

INQ.  Why!  these  are  the  very  things  that  are 
taking  place  today — wars  and  rumors  of  wars, 
blood,  fire,  vapors  of  smoke,  are  covering  the 
earth  as  the  fog  covers  a  ship  at  sea.  Six  million 
have  been  swept  into  their  graves  during  the  past 
few  years  of  warfare,  and  plague.  Almost  every 
home  has  been  entered  by  death.  Never  so  many 
homes  in  America  in  all  its  history  have  been  en- 
tered by  the  death  angel  as  in  the  past  five  years. 

Cries  of  peace  and  safety,  sudden  destruction, 
coming  plagues,  pestilences  at  home  and  abroad — 
the  fig  tree  putteth  forth  her  leaf,  and  the  Jews  are 
today,  for  the  first  time  in  centuries,  free  to  return 
to  Jerusalem  and  rebuild  their  temple.  Chariots, 
automobiles  and  ears  run  like  the  lightnings  and 
jostle  each  other,  because  of  their  very  numbers,  in 
the  broad  ways.  ( Nah.  2 :4. ) 

All  about  me  I  see  the  love  of  many  waxing 
cold.  Forms  and  ceremonies  are  taking  the  place 
of  power.  So-called  Christian  Science  and  Spirit- 
ualism has  flooded  the  land  with  false  Christs  and 
false  prophets.  Then,  too,  in  these  days  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  being  poured  out  upon  all  flesh,  and  in 
every  land  a  spiritual  company  are  preparing  for 
the  rapture.  Surely,  surely,  according  to  your 
words,  and  the  signs  of  the  times,  the  coming  of 
the  Lord  must  be  near  at  hand,  yea,  even  at  our 
very  doors. 

With  all  these  signs  being  fulfilled  and  thy  word 
so  plain,  why  is  it  that  the  people  of  today  are  so 

507 


THIS  IS  THAT 

stupid  and  dull  that  they  do  not  realize  this  truth? 

THE  WORD.  For  the  same  reason  that  the  Jews 
did  not  recognize  the  signs  attending  His  first  com- 
ing or  discover  that  the  Slain  Lamb  of  Isa.  53  and 
their  crucified  Lord  were  one  and  the  same.  Their 
eyes  are  holden  by  sin.  They  slumber  and  are 
drunken  with  the  intoxication  of  the  world. 

INQ.  I  thank  you  for  making  it  plain  to  me 
that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  soon  to  come,  and 
in  view  of  this  truth  I  see  that  we  should  quit  our- 
selves like  men  and  stand  with  our  loins  girded 
about  with  truth,  our  sandals  upon  our  feet,  with 
oil  in  our  vessels  with  our  lamps,  ourselves  filled 
with  love  and  robed  with  praise,  transformed  daily 
by  the  Spirit's  power  into  the  likeness  of  God's 
dear  Son,  watching  earnestly  unto  the  coming  of 
our  Lord,  insomuch  that  I  shall  be  enabled  to  pray 
the  last  prayer  recorded  in  the  Bible:  "Even  so, 
Lord  Jesus,  conle  quickly." 


508 


SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES 

"WHAT  SHALL  BE  THE  SIGN  OF  THY  COMING?" 
MATT.  24 :3. 

IN  reading  the  Bible  prophecies  concerning  the 
last  days,  have  you  not  been  struck  forcibly 
with  the  astounding  similarity  of  conditions  as 
recorded  by  the  news  of  the  day,  and  the  Word  of 
God? 

I  want  to  take  you  back  in  memory  just  a  few 
years  ago  to  the  great  world-wide  talk  of  peace — 
you  doubtless  recall  the  great  Hague  convention, 
where  peace  was  the  theme.  And  universal  peace 
was  talked  of  continually.  Then  true  to  Bible  proph- 
ecy when  they  cried  peace,  peace,  suddenly  came 
gloom  and  destruction.  If  you  have  not  recently 
read  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew,  read  it  now  and 
compare  it  with  this  present  day. 

"What  shall  be  the  sign  of  thy  coming,  and  the 
end  of  the  world?"  In  answer  to  this  query  the 
Lord  tells  us  of  many  signs  whereby  we  may  recog- 
nize the  season,  amongst  others  He  tells  us  there 
will  be 

WARS  and  rumors  of  wars,  that  nation  shall 
rise  against  nation,  kingdom  against  kingdom.  We 
see  this  phophecy  fulfilled  in  a  startling  literal 
manner.  There  shall  be 

FAMINES  we  are  told.  Glance  over  your  paper 
again,  and  run  back  over  the  past  few  months' 
famines.  Note  the  prices  of  food  and  clothing  in 
Europe.  Consider  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  parts  of 
Russia,  Armenia,  Servia,  the  high  prices  and  pota- 
to famine  in  Germany;  read  of  the  small  rations 
dealt  out  to  starving  women  and  children,  the  shell- 
torn,  blood-soaked  fields  that  used  to  bear  grain 
and  vegetables  and  feed  the  flocks  and  you  will 

509 


THIS  IS  THAT 

not  fail  to  agree  this  sign  is  fulfilled,  in  a  ghastly 
real  way. 

As  for  the  PESTILENCES  he  tells  of,  I  have 
just  looked  up  Noah  Webster  and  he  defines  the 
word  as  an  infectious  or  contagious  disease,  nox- 
ious to  health  and  morals.  Pestilences  and 

PLAGUES  go  hand  in  hand  today.  Recall  the 
accounts  of  sickness  caused  from  the  unburied 
bodies  on  the  battle  fields,  the  smallpox  epidemic, 
the  black  death,  the  infantile  paralysis,  right  at 
our  doors.  I  suppose  you  have  been  reading  of 
the  plague  of  sharks  that  are  infesting  our  shores, 
of  the  ships  lost  at  sea,  of  the  thousands  of  fires, 
explosions  and  accidents,  with  their  train  of  silent 
victims;  of  the  wrecking  of  homes  in  Europe,  of 
the  terrible  fate  and  destruction  of  innocent 
women  and  children,  too  horrible  to  even  record 
or  contemplate.  No  one  can  help  admitting  that 
the  time  of  famines,  pestilences  and  plagues  is  up- 
on us,  as  are  the  earthquakes  in  divers  places. 

FALSE  PROPHETS  are  arising  on  every  hand, 
also  those  who  have  claimed  to  be  the  Christ  have 
been  mentioned  at  different  times  in  the  news- 
papers. We  are  told  that  the  false  prophets  will 
have  power  to  do  many  wonderful  things,  and 
show  forth  signs  and  wonders  that  would  deceive 
the  very  elect  if  that  were  possible;  today  we  see 
Christian  Science,  Spiritualists  and  other  organi- 
zations (which  we  recognize  as  false  because  they 
deny  the  power  of  the  blood  of  Jesus)  working 
miracles  and  healings,  seeking  to  deceive  the  elect. 
True  to  prophecy,  we  are  told  not  to  marvel  at  all 
these  things  because  they  must  all  come  to  pass 
before  the  end. 

The  second  chapter  of  Nahum,  in  speaking  of 
this  day,  says  that 

THE  CHARIOTS  SHALL  RAGE  IN  THE  STREETS;  they 

shall  jostle  one  against  the  other  in  the  broad  ways; 
they  shall  seem  like  torches,  they  shall  run  like 

510 


SIGNS  OF  THE  TIMES 

lightnings.  Today  this  has  been  true  not  only  of  the 
automobiles  in  the  streets  of  our  own  land,  but  of 
the  armored  cars  on  European  battlefields,  and  in 
Jerusalem,  as  they  dashed  through  the  streets  with 
the  speed  of  lightning,  bearing  their  swift  messen- 
gers of  death,  doing  their  part  to  fulfill  their  share 
in  the  prophecies  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 

We  are  told  also  that  there  are  to  be  signs  in 
the  heaven  and  in  the  earth. 

BLOOD — God  knows  there  has  been  enough  of 
that  shed  today; 

FIRE — See  accounts  of  the  huge  fires  on  the 
battlefield  composed  of  the  corpses  of  the  slain, 
burning  of  towns  and  cities. 

VAPOR  OF  SMOKE — The  air  has  been  filled  and  per- 
meated wtih  it;  smoke  from  the  mouths  of  cannon, 
smoke  from  burning  homes,  vapors  of  poisonous 
gases. 

The  prophet  Joel  makes  some  wonderful  proph- 
ecies, concerning  these  last  days,  that  are  intense- 
ly interesting  to  Christians.  You  remember  that 
after  aptly  describing  the  DARK  AND  CLOUDY  DAY  he 
told  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  describing 
it  as  the  former  and  latter  rain.  The  former  rain, 
you  will  recall,  began  to  fall  at  the  day  of  Pente-, 
cost ;  today  you  will  observe  the 

LATTER  RAIN  is  falling  on  the  earth.  The 
same  identical  signs  which  followed  the  preaching 
of  the  word  in  the  former  rain,  accompany  the 
present  outpouring.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  also 
at  Ephesus  and  Ceasarea,  and  throughout  the 
Word  of  God,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  them 
as  in  the  former  rain  they  all  spoke  in  tongues. 
Today  in  every  land  the  latter  rain  is  falling, 
and  the  people  are  speaking  in  other  tongues,  the 
sick  are  again  being  healed  through  the  power  in 
Jesus'  Name,  demons  are  being  cast  out,  signs  and 
wonders  being  wrought  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  who 
gives  all  the  glory  to  Jesus.  In  the  law  it  is  writ- 

511 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ten,  "with  men  of  stammering  lips  and  another 
tongue  will  I  speak  to  this  people  and  yet  for  all 
that,  will  they  not  believe." 

As  for  the  Jews  returning  to  Jerusalem,  many 
said  this  could  never  be — yet  one  breath  from  God 
and  it  is  accomplished.  The  Fig  Tree  today  is 
putting  forth  her  leaves.  Yes — every  sign  is  being 
fulfilled  that  indicates  His  coming,  men  are  marry- 
ing and  giving  in  marriage,  as  in  the  days  when 
Noah  predicted  the  flood. 

The  cry,  Behold  the  Bridegroom  cometh;  go  ye 
forth  to  meet  him,  is  sounding  through  our  land. 

Kemember  the  25th  chapter  of  Matthew.  Wake 
up  and  examine  your  lamp.  See  that  it  is  lighted 
by  the  fire  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  be  filled  with  the 
Spirit.  Consider  these  things  carefully;  compare 
the  Word  of  God  with  the  rapid  history-making 
events  of  today,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  readily 
agree  with  me  that  we  are  living  under  the  shadow 
of  His  near  approach,  of  which  He  spoke,  saying, 
"In  the  morning  ye  say  it  will  be  foul  leather  to- 
day, for  the  sky  is  red  and  lowering.  0  ye  fools 
and  hypocrites,  ye  can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky: 
but  can  ye  not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times?" 
Matt  16.  Likewise  when  ye  shall  see  all  these 
things,  know  that  It  is  near,,  even  at  the  doors. 


512 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  THE  LAMB. 

A    VISION — MONTWAIT    CAMP— RELATED    UNDER    THE 

POWER. 

"To  whom  shall  I  my  Love  compare? 

Fairest  of  the  fair. 
Soon  I  His  glory'll  share, 

In  the  meeting  in  the  air. 

"What  are  these  that  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and 
whence  came  they?" — Rev.  7-13. 

"Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  like  doves  to  their 
windows?" — Isaiah  60:8. 

THERE  is  a  mighty  stir  going  on  in  the  earth 
in  these  days;  not  only  in  the  earth,  but  in 
the  Heavens  also;  a  mighty  preparation  for 
a  swiftly  approaching  and  mighty  event.  Contin- 
uous tremors  of  excitment  are  thrilling  the  Bride 
and  her  friends,  as  with  loving  hands,  all  a- 
tremble  with  haste,  she  is  donning  her  finely  em- 
broidered wedding  gown,  and  minutely  inspecting 
her  trousseau.  Her  sandals  are  upon  her  feet;  she 
is  hastening  her  final  preparations,  as  the  mighty 
event  approaches — an  event  so  mighty  and  near 
that,  as  it  looms  and  towers  above  her,  the  shadow 
of  its  near  .approach  excludes  all  else  from  her 
view. 

There  is  a  mighty  examining  of  lamps.  Vessels 
of  oil  are  being  investigated,  and  those  whose  oil 
has  either  leaked  out  or  been  consumed  are  rush- 
ing breathlessly  to  those  who  have  to  sell.  Matt, 
25.  People  who  intend  to  be  present  at  the  meet- 
ing in  the  air  are  leaving  business,  cares  of  this 
life,  and  earthly  duties,  and  with  hasty  feet,  rush- 
ing on  trains,  in  cars,  everywhere,  to  Camp  Meet- 
ings and  tarrying  meetings  in  search  of  oil  for 

513 


THIS  IS  THAT 

their  lamps.  There  is  a  great  washing  of  robes  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Clear,  clarion  calls  are 
penetrating  the  night,  commanding  sleeping  vir- 
gins everywhere  to  awaken,  saying: 

"BEHOLD  THE  BRIDEGROOM  COMETH." 

The  Bride  is  yearning  for  the  Bridegroom.  The 
Bridegroom  is  yearning  for  the  Bride.  The  wife 
is  making  herself  ready.  A  great  longing  is  filling 
her  soul  that  naught  but  He  can  satisfy.  Her 
eyes  are  lifted  to  the  clouds,  with  an  unspeakable 
yearning.  Her  eyes  have  caught  the  vision.  She 
has  caught  one  glimpse  of  His  face;  and  she  is  on 
tip  toe,  with  upturned  face,  watching,  waiting, 
longing  to  behold  Him  whom  her  soul  loveth.  Her 
ears  have  caught  one  strain  of  the  Heavenly  an- 
them; she  has  heard  His  voice.  There  are  many 
faces  and  voices  about  her,  but  they  cannot  win 
even  a  fleeting  glance.  She  is  waiting,  looking, 
searching  the  sky,  through  the  darkness  and 
gloom  of  the  long  night,  with  expectant,  tear- 
dimmed  eye  and  up-stretched  hands. 

The  messenger  whom  God  has  sent,  even  the 
Holy  Spirit,  to  seek  and  bring  the  bride  for  His 
Son,  the  Heavenly  Isaac,  is  gathering  together 
those  who  have  said:  "I  will  go  with  this  Man" 
(Gen.  24:58),  and  is  getting  them  upon  the  Holy 
Ghost  elevator,  which  is  to  lift  them  up  to  Him, 
and  will  never  leave  the  Bride  till  she  is  safe  in 
the  arms  of  her  Lover. 

In  Heaven  also  a  mighty  preparation  is  going 
on.  The  angelic  hosts  are  assembling.  There  is 
a  great  tuning  of  harps,  and  stringed  instruments ; 
the  heavenly  orchestras  are  learning  the  Bridal 
Song  for  the  grand  occasion ;  the  greatest  day  ever 
known  in  Heaven,  when  the  Son  is  to  clasp  the 
wife  of  His  bosom  in  His  arms.  All  the  eyes  of 
Heaven  are  gazing  upon  the  Bride.  The  Bride- 
groom is  overcome  of  love  for  her.  Sol.  Song  6  :5. 

514 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  THE  LAMB 

The  very  air  is  tense  with  expectancy,  as  the  day 
approaches. 

Suddenly  the  starry  floors  of  Heaven  are  split  in 
twain.  The  faith  of  the  bride  has  not  been  in  vain. 
He  that  has  promised  has  fulfilled  His  word;  He 
has  kept  His  promise.  The  Heavens  are  opened, 
and  suddenly  the  rays  of  light  from  the  throne 
penetrate  and  illuminate  the  gloom  of  earth.  Her 
enraptured,  upturned  face  is  transfigured  with  His 
radiance,  as  she  beholds  His  pierced  feet  appear- 
ing, descending;  and  then  His  whole  form  in  won- 
drous, resplendent  robes  of  light.  The  whole  heav- 
ens are  filled  with  clouds  of  angels,  myriads  of 
angelic  hosts.  And  with  leaping,  bounding  heart, 
her  eyes  at  last  behold  His  face. 

Every  harp,  every  stringed  instrument,  every 
trumpet  in  the  orchestra  of  all  heaven  strikes  and 
holds  one  long,  sweet  note,  that  shivers  the  silence, 
and  explodes  with  rapturous  melody.  At  the 
sound  a  mighty  quaking  and  trembling  stirs  the 
earth.  The  graves  burst  open.  The  same  Spirit 
that  raised  Jesus  from  the  dead,  quickens  their 
mortal  bodies;  and  at  the  call  of  that  rapturous 
music,  they  rise,  clad  in  white  robes  of  His  right- 
eousness, and  with  upturned  faces  and  out- 
stretched hands,  they  bound  forth  and  upward 
through  the  air,  towards  that  glorious  Form  that 
is  radiating  the  Heavens  and  filling  them  with 
splendor. 

Another  strain  of  melody  bursts  forth  in  such 
power  that  all  Heaven  trembles  with  its  majestic 
splendor.  At  the  sound,  those  waiting  upon  the 
earth  are  transformed.  The  laws " of  gravity  lose 
all  control  and  power  to  hold  them  from  Him  who 
waits  with  outstretched  arms,  as  He  descends  with 
a  shout :  "Arise,  My  Love,  My  Fair  One!  and  come 
away"  Sol.  Songs  2:13.  The  mortal  puts  on  im- 
mortality; the  corruptible  puts  on  incorruption. 

Her  eyes  have  seen  her  Lord.     She  is  sweeping 

515 


THIS  IS  THAT 

through  the  air  to  meet  Him,  and  He  towards  her ; 
with  outstretched  arms  they  meet.  O,  that  meet- 
ing the  air!  At  last  He  clasps  her  in  His  arms; 
she  for  whom  He  died,  and  has  waited  so  long. 
At  last  she  lays  her  queenly  head  upon  the  bosom 
of  Him  for  whom  she  lived,  and  has  pictured  so 
often  in  her  dreams.  He  wipes  away  her  tears. 
Their  lips  meet  as  they  embrace.  All  Heaven 
rocks  and  sways  and  trembles  as  every  harp  and 
musical  instrument  bursts  forth  with  the  might 
and  majestic  splendor  of  the  wedding  song,  that 
rises  and  falls,  echoes  and  reechoes,  through  the 
air. 

All  Heaven  has  come  forth  to  behold  the  meet- 
ing in  the  air,  and  to  welcome  the  Bride,  saying: 
"Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honor  to  Him, 
for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  hath  come,  and  the 
wife  hath  made  herself  ready"  Rev.  19:7.  They 
rise  together;  the  Heavens  roll  together  again. 
Deeper  darkness  settles  on  the  earth;  but  beyond 
the  starry  floors  of  Heaven  is  great  jubilation. 
Myriad  hosts  of  angels  are  banked,  tier  upon 
tier,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see,  on  either  side  of  the 
long  path  that  leads  to  the  throne,  upon  which 
rests  a  cloud  of  radiant  glory.  To  the  strain  of 
that  wondrous  wedding  march,  which  beats  and 
pulsates  in  indescribable  grandeur,  He  leads  her, 
leaning  upon  His  arm,  towards  the  throne,  and 
presents  her  unto  His  Father,  spotless,  blameless, 
in  radiant  purity,  clad  in  His  righteousness  and 
power. 

Then  follows  a  wondrous  ceremony,  so  wonderful 
that  it  is  unlawful  for  man  to  describe;  and  then 
the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,  where  the  Bride 
and  the  friends  of  the  Bride  are  served  with  joy 
unspeakable,  by  angelic  hosts  in  robes  of  white. 
They  drink  together  the  wine  of  the  kingdom.  She 
has  eyes  but  for  one,  her  Lord,  her  Saviour,  her 
King,  her  Husband. 

516 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  THE  LAMB 

All  tears  are  dried  forever.  Rev.  21:4.  Dark- 
ness has  vanished  away.  Kev.  21:23.  Naught 
from  her  Lord  shall  ever  sever.  She  will  dwell 
in  his  presence  for  aye  and  aye. 

Who  is  this  clad  in  the  splendor  of  the  Sun? 
It  is  Jesus,  the  Holy  One. 
The  rainbow  of  peace  is  under  His  feet, 
And  in  Him  the  Godhead  power  complete. 


517 


THAT  WONDERFUL  DAY. 

JESUS,  the  Son  of  God,  is  soon  coming  back  to 
this  earth  again,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  send- 
ing forth  the  last  call  to  the  Bride  to  be  ready 
to  meet  Him  in  the  air.  There  is  a  mighty  stir  go- 
ing on  in  the  earth  today,  not  only  among  the  sin- 
ful nations  but  amongst  the  righteous  saints  who 
are  preparing  for  the  great  day  of  His  appearing. 

"For  the  Lord,  Himself,  shall  descend  from 
heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  an  arch- 
angel and  the  trump  of  God.  The  dead  in  Christ 
shall  rise  first,  then  we  who  are  alive  and  remain 
shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  to  meet 
the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  shall  we  be  ever  with 
the  Lord." 

What  a  wonderful  day  that  will  be!  The  most 
eloquent  tongue,  the  most  inspired  pen  cannot  bo- 
gin  to  tell  of  the  glory  of  that  great  triumphal 
day. 

There  have  been  some  wonderful  days  since  tho 
beginning  of  time,  but  this  day  will  outshine 
them  all.  It  was  a  wonderful  day  when  God 
spoke  the  world  into  being — a  wonderful  day  when 
He  set  the  sun,  the  moon  and  stars  in  the  heavens. 
It  was  a  wonderful  day  when  He  created  man  in 
His  own  image — a  wonderful  day  when  man. 
having  fallen  into  sin,  had  been  doomed  to  die  and 
God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  promised  to  send 
His  Son  Jesus  to  suffer  and  die  that  He  might  lift 
him  up  from  the  depths  of  sin  to  the  highest 
heights  of  Glory.  It  was  a  wonderful  day  when 
the  wise  men  saw  His  star  in  the  East  and  Jesus 
was  born  a  babe  in  the  manger. 

518 


THAT  WONDERFUL  DAY 

There  were  many  wonderful  days  in  Jesus'  min- 
istry when  He  healed  the  sick,  cleansed  the  lepers, 
raised  the  dead,  cast  out  demons,  performed  mir- 
acles and  fed  the  multitudes. 

It  was  a  wonderful  day  when  Jesus  was  tried 
before  Pilate  and  as  a  lamb  before  his  shearers  is 
dumb,  so  He  opened  not  His  mouth. 

It  was  a  wonderful  day  when  He  was  nailed  to 
the  cross  and  when  He  took  our  place  and  paid  our 
debt  and  bore  our  punishment  in  His  own  body  on 
the  tree.  It  was  a  wonderful  day  when  they  laid 
Him  in  the  tomb  and  a  still  more  wonderful  day 
when  He  was  resurrected  and  came  forth  in  tri- 
umphant glory  and  power. 

It  was  a  wonderful  day  when  He  left  the  won- 
dering disciples  and  ascended  to  His  Father  in 
Heaven  and  a  cloud  received  Him  out  of  sight. 
Ah!  there  is  a  still  more  wonderful  day  coming, 
the  crowning  day  of  all  other  days,  when  Jesus 
shall  come  back  to  earth  again,  when  He  shall  part 
the  clouds  and  we  shall  see  Him  descending  from 
Heaven  clad  in  robes  of  splendor.  This  time  He 
is  not  coming  to  be  spurned  and  rejected  and  spit 
upon  and  beaten.  This  time  He  is  coming  back  a 
King,  victorious,  to  awaken  the  overcomers,  those 
who  are  saved  unto  the  end,  who  awaken  to  the 
Bridal  Call.  You,  too,  are  called  to  be  in  thai 
bridal  procession.  Make  restitution,  get  under 
the  blood,  for  Jesus  is  coming  soon. 


519 


TOWARD  MORNING. 

IT  is  always  darkest  just  before  the  dawn.  To- 
day the  world  is  enveloped  with  the  darkest 
shroud  of  midnight  sorrow  that  has  ever  been 
knowrn.  Death  and  misery,  slaughter  and  despair, 
destruction  and  devastation  are  rampant.  In  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  homes  mothers  and  wives  are 
weeping  and  mourning  as  one  who  refuses  to  be 
comforted,  even  as  I  write  these  words.  Plagues 
and  pestilences  have  been  loosed  upon  the  earth 
today,  even  as  in  Egypt's  darkness  of  old.  And 
now,  just  before  morning,  the  firstborn  are  being 
slain,  blood  is  flowing  forth  like  a  river,  and  few 
indeed  are  the  homes  and  hearths  that  have  not 
been  touched. 

Exodus  12 :29  says :  "And  it  came  to  pass,  that 
at  midnight  the  Lord  smote  all  the  firstborn  in 
the  land  of  Egypt,  from  the  firstborn  of  Pharaoh 
that  sat  on  his  throne,  unto  the  firstborn  of  the 
captive  that  sat  in  the  dungeon.  And  there  was 
a  great  cry  in  Egypt,  for  there  was  not  a  house 
where  there  was  not  one  dead."  Then  came  deliv- 
erance, and  the  children  of  Israel  were  led  forth 
with  singing. 

Dear  tired,  troubled,  grief-torn  heart,  look  up, 
the  night  is  far  spent,  the  long,  weary  way  is  al- 
most ended.  Weeping  may  endure  for  the  night 
but  JOY  cometh  in  the  morning.  And  just  as 
sure  as  yonder  sun  rose  over  the  hills  this  morn- 
ing, banishing  the  shades  of  night,  just  so  sure 
will  Jesus,  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  rise  over 
the  hills  in  immortal  glory  to  take  His  people,  His 
overcoming  children,  to  that  land  where  tears 
never  flow. 

520 


TOWARD  MORNING 

Today,  the  powers  of  darkness  are  closing  on 
every  hand.  Wickedness  is  waxing  worse  and 
worse,  till  sometimes,  as  we  read  of  the  stagger- 
ing condition  of  affairs,  the  slaughter  of  our  brav- 
est and  best,  the  shot-torn  fields,  the  stricken 
homes,  the  crying  of  fatherless  children,  the  burn- 
ing of  homes,  as  we  look  into  the  faces  blackened 
and  pinched  with  hunger,  as  the  photographer 
sends  the  pictures  from  over  there,  as  we  see  the 
pitiful  sight  of  little  children,  walking  skeletons, 
perishing  horribly  for  want  of  bread,  our  heads 
reel  before  the  appalling  spectacle  and  it  all  seems 
like  some  hideous  nightmare.  But  no,  it  is  too, 
too  true,  darkness  has  fallen,  fallen  also  in  many 
churches  where  men  have  become  lovers  of  pleas- 
ure more  than  lovers  of  God,  fallen  where  luke- 
warm professors  have  a  form  of  godliness  but  deny 
the  power  thereof.  But  look  up,  beloved,  'tis  al- 
most morning.  Hallelujah! 

"Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands,  and  confirm  the 
feeble  knees.  Say  unto  them  that  are  of  a  fearful 
heart,  be  strong,  fear  not:  behold  your  God  will 
come  with  vengeance,  even  God  with  a  recompense; 
He  will  come  and  save  you.  And  the  ransomed  of 
the  Lord  will  return,  and  come  to  Zion  with  songs 
and  everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads;  they  shall 
obtain, joy  and  gladness,  and  sorrow  and  sighing 
shell  flee  away." 

Sometimes  in  your  daily  life,  amidst  the  heart- 
aches, the  pressure  brought  to  bear  against  you, 
the  weight  of  the  cross,  the  thorns  along  the  path, 
you  have  almost  fainted  by  the  way,  but  stand 
fast  a  little  longer,  dear  one,  press  on  a  little  fur- 
ther. See!  Just  over  yonder  hill  tops  the  gray 
dawn  is  breaking,  Jesus  is  coming  soon.  He  is 
coming  to  wipe  all  tears  from  all  faces — where- 
fore comfort  ye  one  another  wdth  these  words. 
Were  ever  words  of  comfort  so  sweet  to  weary 
pilgrims?  ft 'Jesus  is  coming  soon"  the  wondrous 

521 


THIS  IS  THAT 

words  lift  the  drooping  head.  "Jesus  is  coming 
soon."  At  that  glorious  hope  the  weak  hands  are 
lifted  high  with  renewed  strength  and  hope. 
"Jesus  is  coming  soon."  The  words  bring  with 
them  such  a  vision  of  glory  that  even  in  this  vale 
of  tears  eyes  are  lightened  and  suffused  with  rap- 
ture because  of  that  glorious  morning. 

"For  the  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from 
Heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  arch- 
angel, and  with  the  trump  of  God,  and  the  dead  in 
Christ  shall  rise  first,  then  we  which  are  alive  and 
remain  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in 
the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air;  and  so 
shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord.  I.  Thess.  4 :16,  17. 

Let  nothing  hinder  your  progress;  though  dis- 
couragements rise  overwhelmingly  as  an  impass- 
able barrier  in  your  path,  press  on  in  Jesus'  name 
and  that  barrier  will  melt  away  as  shadows  be- 
fore the  summer's  sunshine.  Have  you  ever 
walked  along  a  lonely  country  road  at  night,  and 
seemed  to  "see  men  as  trees  walking" ?  Do  you 
remember  how  yonder  crooked  stump  looked  like 
some  giant  ready  to  spring  upon  you  as  you  passed, 
how  yonder  innocent  fence-post  appeared  like  some 
grim  spectre  of  the  night,  crouching  in  readiness 
for  some  dire,  unspeakable  deed — even  the  sounds 
of  the  night  seemed  different  and  at  the  lowing 
of  the  cow  or  its  nibbling  at  the  grass  your  heart 
pounded  as  you  cried,  "What's  that !"  You  laughed 
at  your  fears  when  morning's  light  drove  away  the 
shadows  and  revealed  the  source  of  the  sounds;  so 
it  is  with  us,  dear  ones,  if  we  press  on  through  the 
gloom  all  our  fears  will  prove  but  folly,  for  in 
Him  we  are  safely  hidden  from  all  danger. 

The  lions  that  roar  are  in  reality  chained  and 
unable  to  harm  you  while  you  walk  close  to  him. 
Fear  not  the  grim  spectres  of  the  night,  no  matter 
how  the  enemy  may  seek  to  intimidate  you.    Press 
on,  'twill  not  be  long  now  till  all  the  shades  of 

522 


TOWARD  MORNING 

night  are  rolled  away  and  we  see  Jesus  face  to 
face. 

All  that  we  have  sacrificed  and  suffered  down  in 
this  old  world  will  be  forgotten,  yea,  will  fade  into 
insignificance  before  just  one  look  into  the  eyes  of 
our  beloved  who  cometh  quickly.  Go  through, 
though  it  means  losing  every  friend  on  earth, 
though  it  means  standing  alone,  persecution,  re- 
proach, death  to  self,  and  a  daily  reckoning  our- 
selves crucified  with  Him.  For  He  that  endureth 
to  the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved.  Keep  low 
under  the  blood;  be  filled  with  the  Spirit;  let 
your  robes  be  kept  spotless,  your  sandals  upon 
your  feet,  your  vessels  filled  with  oil,  in  readiness 
until  the  day  break  and  the  shadows  flee  away. 


523 


TEACHING 
OF  DEEPER  TRUTHS 


THE  PLAN  OF  REDEMPTION. 

IN  order  to  make  the  great  Plan  of  Redemption 
simple  and  plain  to  a  certain  audience,  and 
that  the  eye  might  assist  the  ear  and  the  under- 
standing of  many  who  knew  little  or  nothing  about 
God's  Word,  or  of  the  combined  efforts  of  the  Tri- 
une God  to  save  a  sinful  race,  I  conceived  the  idea 
of  drawing  "The  Plan  of  Redemption"  chart.     It 
sets  forth  in  a  simple,  panoramic  form  the  chain 
of  events  from  creation  and  the  fall  to  the  final 
restoration  of  all  things. 

The  first  three  divisions  in  this  chain,  as  you 
will  see,  represent  the  dispensation  of  the  Father, 
the  dispensation  of  the  Son,  and  the  dispensation 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  linked  together  in  their  com- 
bined efforts  to  redeem  sinful  humanity. 

FATHER. 

Over  the  first  circle  is  placed  a  coffin,  represent- 
ing the  sin  and  death  that  reigned  from  the  time 
of  Adam  to  Moses,  and  from  Moses  on  to  Christ. 

Satan,  who  had  been  cast  out  of  heaven,  tempted 
our  forefathers  (the  first  inhabitants  of  the  earth), 
led  them  into  disobedience  and  sin,  thus  causing 
the  downfall  of  the  whole  human  race.  God,  in 
His  holiness,  could  not  look  upon  sin  with  the 
least  degree  of  allowance,  ffwher€forey  as  by  one 
man,  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin, 
death  passed  upon  all  men  for  that  all  have 
sinned." 

The  first  chapter  of  Genesis  opens  with  life  .and 
creation  pulsing  everywhere;  the  last  verse  of  the 
last  chapter  of  Genesis  ends  with  a  dead-man  em- 
balmed and  buried  in  a  coffin  in  Egypt.  "The  soul 

525 


THIS  IS  THAT 

that  sinneth,  it  shall  die/'  was  the  verdict  that  God 
had  given,  and  His  word  could  not  be  broken ; 
thus  the  whole  human  family  had  gotten  them- 
selves into  a  box,  a  coffin  that  they  could  not  get 
out  of. 

The  human  race  began  with  a  perfect  man  and 
woman,  fashioned  in  the  likeness  of  God's  own  self, 
walking  together  with  Him  in  life  and  purity 
beneath  the  fruitful  trees  of  the  garden  of  Eden — 
and  ended  in  a  coffin,  the  sentence  of  death  passed 
upon  the  seed  of  woman. 

God,  in  His  plan  of  Kedemption,  reversed  the 
whole  order  of  things. 

He  began  with  a  man  (Jesus  Christ  whose  blood 
was  shed  for  sinners)  lying  in  a  tomb,  still  and 
cold  in  death,  and  ends  with  a  perfect  man  and 
woman  (Christ  and  His  bride)  walking  with  God 
beneath  the  never-fading  trees  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem in  eternal  life  and  purity. 

Just  as  Eve  was  deceived  by  the  fair  words  of 
the  serpent,  and  just  as  Adam  was  not  deceived, 
but  took  willingly  and  knowingly  of  the  forbidden 
fruit,  so  it  was  that  when  the  whole  human  race 
was  deluded  and  deceived  by  the  tempter  and  con- 
demned to  death,  Jesus,  our  second  Adam,  will- 
ingly and  knowingly  came  down  and  partook  of 
the  fruits  of  death  and  stood  by  the  sinner's  side 
that  he  might  take  the  sinner's  place,  bear  the 
sinner's  banishment,  die  the  sinner's  death,  and 
lift  him  from  the  fall. 

In  that  fall  from  grace,  mankind  fell  so  low  and 
descended  to  such  depths,  that  nothing  short  of 
the  combined  efforts  of  the  Triune  God  could  lift 
him  up  or  reinstate  him  in  the  presence  of  the 
Father  blameless,  without  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any 
such  thing.  During  the  dispensation  of  the  Father, 
as  recorded  from  Genesis  to  Malachi,  God  had  re- 
peatedly promised  that  in  the  fulness  of  time  He 
would  bestow  a  love  gift  upon  this  sinful  world — 

526 


THE  PLAN   OF  REDEMPTION 

that  gift  was  to  be  Jesus,  His  only  begotten  Son. 
He,  Jesus,  was  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  and  by 
His  own  precious  blood  on  the  cross  bridge  the 
gulf  'twixt  man  and  God,  rend  the  veil,  and  open 
a  new  and  a  living  way  into  the  Holy  of  Holies. 

Through  the  centuries  recorded  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  divided  into  periods — Creation  and 
Adam — ^sin  enters — flood — Moses  leads  the  children 
of  Israel  forth — Canaan  land — minor  prophets — a 
faithful  people  had  been  looking  forward  to  the 
cross  and  the  day  when  Jesus  would  shed  His  blood 
(see  types  and  shadows — shedding  of  blood  of 
bulls,  goats  and  lambs),  just  as  we  who  live  in 
the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  today  loolc 
back  to  the  cross  and  the  blood  shed  thereupon. 

True  to  His  promise,  in  the  fulness  of  time,  "God 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

SON. 

The  second  dispensation  (that  of  the  Son),  is 
recorded  in  the  four  Gospels  of  the  New  Testament. 
It  is  overshadowed  on  the  chart  by  the  cross,  even 
as  the  old  dispensation  had  been  overshadowed  by 
the  coffin  (sin  and  death),  and  is  joined  to  the 
first  dispensation  by  the  small  preparatory  link — 
the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist. 

In  delivering  his  two  great  messages — "Repent" 
and  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,"  John  the  Baptist 
prophesies  the  coming  of  the  dispensation  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  "There  cometh  One  after  me,  the 
latchet  of  whose  shoe  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose. 
He,  when  He  is  come,  will  baptize  you  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  fire."  It  is  as  though  John  looked 
right  straight  through  this  circle  upon  the  chart — 
the  work  of  the  Son — and  saw  the  end  from  the 
beginning.  There  are  many  things  he  might  have 
said  about  Jesus. 

527 


THIS  IS  THAT 

He,  when  He  is  come,  will  heal  the  sick;  He, 
when  He  is  come,  will  raise  the  dead,  feed  the 
hungry  multitudes,  cleanse  the  lepers,  shed  His 
blood,  and  be  resurrected  the  third  day;  but  look- 
ing through  all  of  these  things,  wonderful  as  they 
were,  with  the  clear  vision  of  the  Spirit,  John  looks 
ahead  and  cries : 

"He}  when  He  is  come,  will  baptize  you  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire." 

The  second  dispensation,  the  life  of  Jesus,  taking 
in  the  birth  of  Christ — boyhood — rbaptism  in  Jor- 
dan— ministry — last  supper  and  garden — cruci- 
fixion and  burial — and  the  resurrection  of  our 
Lord,  while  completely  spanning  the  gulf  between 
God  and  man,  and  bringing  salvation  from  sin 
through  His  precious  blood,  still  needed  the  work 
and  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  third  person 
of  the  Trinity,  to  complete  the  plan  of  redemption 
in  its  fullest  sense.  Jesus  plainly  declares : 

"It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if 
I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come." 
There  must  needs  be  a  third  story  to  the  ark,  in 
which  the  sin-cursed  multitude  might  take  refuge 
to  escape  the  flood  of  judgment  which  must  fall 
upon  the  iniquities  of  earth. 

HOLY    GHOST. 

Just  as  the  Father  bestowed  the  gift  of  Jesus 
Christ,  His  Son,  as  a  love  gift  to  the  sinner,  so 
now  in  turn,  Jesus  bestowed  the  Holy  Ghost,  the 
promise  of  the  Father,  His  love  gift  to  the  believer. 

The  link  which  joins  the  dispensation  of  the 
Spirit  to  that  of  the  Son  is  the  ten  days  between 
the  ascension  of  the  Lord  and  the  outpouring  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  wherein  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  tarried  for  the  promised  Comforter.  'Tis 
as  though  the  Father  joined  hands  with  the  Son 
and  the  Son  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  by  their 
unity  and  oneness  of  purpose,  the  plan  of  redemp- 
tion might  be  wrought  out. 

523 


THE  PLAN   OF  REDEMPTION 

Just  as  sin  and  death  overshadowed  circle 
one  and  the  work  of  the  cross  rises  high  aloft 
above  any  other  event  in  circle  two,  so  now  the 
Holy  Spirit,  as  a  dove,  broods  over  and  overshadows 
the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  began 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  we  are  still  living  in,  and 
will  be  living  in,  in  fact,  until  Jesus  sweeps  back 
the  billowy  clouds  which  curtain  earth  from 
heaven,  and  takes  His  bride  unto  Himself. 

Today  we  live  in  the  closing  hours  of  the  dispen- 
sation of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Looking  back  through 
the  centuries  which  it  embraces,  since  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  we  see  first,  the  church  filled  with  power 
—signs  and  wonders  wrought  under  the  downpour 
of  the  former  rain  which  accompanied  the  first 
seed-sowing  days — loss  of  the  gifts  and  power- 
loss  of  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost — the  days 
when  the  curtains  of  the  dark  ages  obscured  the 
light  of  justification  by  faith — then  restoration 
begins,  and  the  teaching  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
latter  rain  is  flung  broadcast. 

We  stand  today  on  the  verge  of  the  coming  of 
the  Lord.  Through  the  power  of  the  Spirit  the 
church  is  being  restored  to  the  full  standard  of 
Pentecostal  power  and  perfection.  A  little  band 
of  despised  overcomers  is  coming  through  blood 
and  fire,  triumphant,  purged  and  made  white 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  With  uplifted 
faces  and  stretched-out  arms,  its  members  are 
yearning  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord — the  bright 
and  morning  star — the  Son  of  righteousness  who 
shall  arise  with  healing  in  His  wings. 

"For  the  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from 
Heaven  with  a  shout  .  .'  .  the  dead  in  Christ 
shall  be  raised  first;  then  those  that  are  alive  and 
remain  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  to, 
meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  shall  we  ever  be 
with  the  Lord." 

529 


THIS  IS  THAT 
SON. 

While  the  resurrected  and  translated  saints  are 
caught  up  in  the  rapture  to  the  wedding  and  mar- 
riage supper  of  the  Lamb,  link  three,  the  tribu- 
lation, sorrow  and  punishment  such  as  was  never 
known,  leads  on  to  the  day  in  which  the  Lord  shall 
descend  with  His  saints,  and  the  government  shall 
be  upon  His  shoulders.  "For  He  must  reign  till 
He  hath  put  all  enemies  under  His  feet." 

The  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which  is  the  Devil 
and  Satan,  shall  be  bound  a  thousand  years  and 
cast  into  the  bottomless  pit,  where  an  angel  shall 
shut  him  up  and  set  a  seal  upon  him  that  he 
deceive  the  nations  no  more  till  the  thousand  years 
shall  be  fulfilled,  and  after  that  he  must  be  loosed 
for  a  little  season. 

Then  shall  be  fulfilled  the  prayer  of  our  Lord— 
"Thy  kingdom  come;  Thy  mil  be  done  on  earth  as 
it  is  in  Heaven."  The  saints,  who  have  overcome, 
who  have  neither  worshipped  the  beast  nor  His 
image,  who  have  refused  to  receive  his  mark  upon 
their  forehead,  or  in  their  hand,  shall  "live  and 
reign  with  Christ  a  thousand  years." — Rev.  20:4. 

Bead  Kev.  20  (1  to  15).  When  the  thousand 
years  have  expired  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his 
prison  for  a  little  season,  and  shall  go  out  to  de- 
ceive the  nations,  inasmuch  that  they  shall  gather 
round  the  beloved  city  and  compass  the  camp  of 
the  saints,  but  fire  shall  come  down  from  God  out 
of  Heaven  and  devour  them.  The  devil  that  de- 
ceived them  shall  be  cast,  not  into  the  bottomless 
pit  again,  but  this  time  into  the  lake  of  fire  and 
brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet 
are,  and  shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  forever 
and  ever. 

FATHER. 

Then  comes  the  great  white  throne  judgment, 
when  the  dead,  both  small  and  great,  shall  be 

530 


THE  PLAN  OF  REDEMPTION 

called  to  stand  before  God,  before  the  face  of  whom 
earth  and  heaven  flee  away. 

The  book  of  life  shall  be  opened  and  the  dead 
shall  be  judged  out  of  those  things  which  are 
written  in  the  books,  according  to  their  works. 
The  sea  shall  give  up  the  dead  which  are  in  it; 
death  and  hell  shall  deliver  up  their  dead  and  they 
shall  be  judged,  every  man  according  to  his  works. 
Then  it  is  that  Jesus  "shall  have  delivered  up  the 
kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father"  and  "shall  be 
subject  unto  Him  that  put  all  things  under  Him, 
that  God  may  be  all  in  all"—I  Cor.  24,  28.  Thus 
the  Lord,  having  subdued  His  enemies,  places  the 
reins  again  in  the  hands  of  the  Father,  the  plan  of 
redemption  completed. 

Kead  the  chart  from  left  to  right — Father,  Son, 
Holy  Ghost,  Son,  Father.  Now  read  it  from  right 
to  left— it  is  the  same. 

The  circle  has  been  closed,  but  the  work  of  re- 
demption is  not  complete  until  the  vision  seen  by 
John  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos  has  materialized  and 
again  the  perfect  man  and  the  perfect  woman — 
Christ  and  His  bride — walk  beneath  the  ever- 
verdant  trees,  whose  leaves  shall  not  fade,  and 
whose  fruit  shall  not  decay.  The  final  overthrow 
of  the  devil  and  his  power  shall  be  brought  about: 
sin  shall  never  enter  there. 

Oh,  the  infinite  love  and  patience — the  sweat 
drops  of  blood — the  thought — the  labors — the  toils 
of  the  Triune  God  to  redeem  a  fallen  world  and 
bring  back  unbroken  communion  with  Father,  Son 
and  Holy  Ghost ! 


531 


THE  BRIDE 
IN  HER  VEIL  OP  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS. 

AN   AFTERNOON   TALK   GIVEN   AT  VICTORIA   HALL,   LOS 
ANGELES,    CALV   FEB.    9,    1919. 

"Come  hither,  I  will  shew  thee  the  Bride,  the  Lamb's 
Wife."— Rev.  21:9. 

THE  great  Wedding  of  the  King  of  Kings  is 
soon  to  take  place.  The  most  colossal  prep- 
arations are  being  made,  both  in  Heaven  and 
in  earth.  In  the  angelic  hosts  above,  and  in  the 
Bridal  Company  on  earth,  harps  are  being  tuned 
and  the  first  superb  strains  of  the  New  Song — the 
Wedding  Song — are  flowing  forth  from  love-filled 
hearts  in  liquid  streams  of  praise. 

Every  Spirit-filled  child  of  God — each  member  of 
the  Bridal  Body,  is  wide  awake  and  on  tip-toe 
now,  looking  for  the  coming  forth  of  the  Bride- 
groom who  is  soon  to  appear  in  the  clouds  of  glory. 
Mortal  mind  cannot  picture  nor  conceive  the  stu- 
pendous glory  and  beauty  that  Avill  flood  the 
heavens  at  His  appearance. 

Have  you  ever  stood,  spell-bound,  in  the  rosy 
glow  of  early  morning,  as  the  rising  sun  threw 
back  the  shades  of  night,  touching  and  illuminat- 
ing each  snowy  cloud  and  transforming  them  into 
flaming,  livid  beauty,  until  the  whole  sky  seemed 
filled  with  angels'  wings  of  gold  and  fire  and 
crimson  ? 

Have  you  ever  wondered,  if  the  earthly  sun 
could  rise  with  such  attendant  glory,  what  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  Righteousness,  who  shall  rise 
with  healing  in  His  Avings,  will  be? 

Yes,  the  Marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  at  hand.  The 
Bridegroom,  who  has  gone  to  prepare  a  place  for 
His  Bride,  is  soon  to  appear. 

532 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

On  earth  the  Bride  is  making  the  final  prepar- 
ations: the  last  finishing  touch  is  being  put  upon 
her  trousseau.  The  days  of  her  purification  with 
oil  of  myrrh  and  with  sweet  odors  are  almost 
accomplished;  the  day  when  she  shall  be  brought 
forth  unto  the  King  has  come. 

Even  in  the  natural,  a  bride  is  ever  an  object  of 
interest  and  a  whispered — 

"Here  comes  the  bride/7  is  enough  to  arouse  the 
instant  attention  and  smiling  interest  of  an  hun- 
dred pair  of  eyes. 

In  the  spiritual  the  interest  in  the  Bride  is  inten- 
sified a  thousand  fold,  and  surely  this  interest  is 
begotten  by  the  Spirit,  for  just  as  the  angel  spoke 
unto  the  beloved  disciple  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos, 
saying : 

"Come  hither,  I  will  shew  thee  the  Bride,  the 
Lamb's  wife/7  and  caught  him  away  in  the  Spirit 
to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  there  to  reveal  her 
glories  to  him,  so  the  Holy  Spirit  today  speaks  to 
the  children  of  God,  saying : 

"Come  hither  (to  the  Word  of  God)  and  I  will 
show  thee  the  Bride,  the  Lamb's  wife." 

Once  He  has  caught  us  up  unto  the  mountain, 
and  has  begun  to  unfold  the  Word  before  our  won- 
dering eyes,  we  gaze  into  its  pages  and  see  the 
Bride  in  almost  every  picture. 

We  see  her  in  the  PAST,  wrapped  in  a  mist  of 
types  and  shadows. 

We  see  her  in  the  PRESENT,  emerging  from 
the  types  and  shadows,  coming  forth  a  living, 
visible,  Spirit-filled,  Spirit-led  people,  humble  and 
lowly,  yet  walking  with  the  dignity  and  majesty 
of  her  coming  Lord. 

We  see  her  in  the  FUTURE,  reigning  with  her 
Bridegroom  upon  the  everlasting  throne,  in  that 
glorious  City,  where  the  streets  are  all  pure  gold, 
the  gates  are  a  solid  pearl,  and  where  joy  and 
praises  forever  echo  through  His  courts. 

533 


THIS  IS  THAT 

THE  BRIDE — A  RIB  COMPANY — BROUGHT  FORTH   FROM 
THE   WOUNDED  SIDE  OF  THE  BRIDEGROOM. 

Gen.  2 :21. 

Looking  into  the  past  where  the  Word  is  filled 
with  types  and  shadows  of  the  Bride  and  her 
coming  forth  to  meet  the  Bridegroom,  one  of  the 
first  types  that  the  Spirit  shoAVS  us  is  that  of 
Adam  and  Eve. 

It  was  a  man  and  a  woman  (Adam  and  Eve) 
who  first  brought  sin  and  death  into  the  Avorld, 
and 

It  will  be  a  man  and  a  woman  (Christ  and  His 
Church)  who  will  go  forth  together,  hand  in  hand, 
ruling  and  reigning,  when  the  last  grim  foe  of  sin 
and  death  is  conquered.  Bless  the  Lord. 

For  the  FIRST  ADAM  "there  was  not  found  an 
help  meet"  (Gen.  2:20),  in  all  the  beautiful  garden 
of  Eden  wherein  he  dwelt.  "And  the  Lord  God 
caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon  Adam"  (Gen. 
2:21),  and  while  he  slept  He  took  out  one  of  his 
ribs,  and  of  the  "rib  ivhich  He  had  taken  from  man 
made  He  a  woman  and  brought  her  unto  the  man." 
( Gen.  2 :22. )  Here  immediately  AVC  see  a  beautiful 
type  of 

The  SECOND  ADAM — for  whom,  amongst  all  the 
seraphic  hosts  of  heaven  there  was  not  found 
an  help  meet.  Then  came  the  deep  sleep  of  death 
which  the  Lord  God  alloAved  to  come  upon  Him, 
and  as  He  slept,  there  on  the  cross,  His  side  was 
opened  wide  and — 

Hallelujah!  From  the  wounded  side  of  Jesus, 
our  Second  Adam,  a  rib  company  is  being  formed 
today  and  will  soon  be  brought  to  the  man  Christ 
Jesus,  to  be  His  wife  and  His  help  meet  forever. 

THE  CLOTHING  OF  THE  BRIDE  MUST  BE  BLOOD-BOUGHT. 

Gen.  3:21. 

Then  comes  the  day  when  Adam  and  Eve 
realized  their  need  of  clothing.  By  their  own 

534 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

efforts  an  apron  of  fig-leaves  was  made — but  not 
approved  of  by  God.  Man  by  his  own  works  and 
by  garments  of  his  own  self-righteous  making,  can 
never  please  the  Father.  His  covering  must  needs 
be  bought  at  the  price  of  blood,  therefore  was  the 
blood  of  an  innocent  creature  shed  and  the  Lord 
God  did  make  coats  of  skins  (skins  typifying  the 
covering  and  righteousness  of  Jesus),  and  clothed 
them. 

THE    OFFERING    OF    THE    BRIDE    MUST    BE     MADE    BY 

BLOOD. — Gen.  4 :4,  5. 

Though  CAIN  brought  the  best  fruits  of  the 
ground — the  best  results  his  own  works  and  labors 
could  make — unto  his  offering  the  Lord  had  no 
respect. 

But  Avhen  ABEL  brought  the  firstlings  of  his 
flock,  the  slain  lamb,  and  God  saw  the  blood,  He 
had  respect  unto  this  offering. 

Good  works  and  man-made  efforts  can  never  win 
the  respect  of  God,  but  when  the  humblest  saint, 
upon  his  knees,  comes  with  an  offering  made 
through  the  blood  of  Calvary's  Lamb,  he,  through 
that  blood,  commands  the  respect  and  approval  of 
all  Heaven. 

PREPARATION  OF  ARK — SEPARATION  AND  OBEDIENCE 

OF  BRIDE. — Gen.   6,  7,  8. 

"Come  hither  and  I  will  show  thee  the  Bride, 
the  Lamb's  wife/'  cries  the  living  Word,  as  we 
turn  our  eyes  upon  the  Ark,  the  Noahic  Covenant, 
and  the  flood  of  Avaters  that  covered  the  earth. 

The  Holy  Spirit  catches  up  the  searchlight  of 
Mat.  27 :37-39,  and  turns  its  blazing  light  full  upon 
the  mists  and  shadows  that  before  so  shrouded  this 
Genesis  6th,  7th  and  8th  chapters  as  to  make  it 
seem  nothing  more  than  a  history  of  bygone  days. 
The  illuminating  words  of  Jesus: 

"As  IT  WAS,  in  the  days  of  Noah— 

So  SHALL  IT  BE/7  reach  out  and  draw  aside  the 

535 


THIS  IS  THAT 

outer  veil  and  reveal  the  inner  depths,  until 
the  pages  seem  alive  again,  peopled  with  the 
surging,  sinful  masses  of  today.  Again  the 
wickedness  of  man  is  great — the  earth — filled  with 
corruption  and  violence.  Again  through  raging 
storm,  through  war  and  plague  and  pestilence,  we 
hear  the  warning  voice  of  God: 

"My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with  man 
.  .  .  I  will  destroy  them  with  the  earth"  Again 
we  see  God's  little  remnant,  His  infinitely  precious 
few — His  Noahs,  the  just  and  perfect  ones,  who, 
with  their  households,  walk  with  God.  Again  we 
see  the  faithful,  whose  ears  are  open  to  the  call 
of  God,  whose  eyes  have  discerned  the  darkening 
sky,  overcast  with  threatening  clouds.  Then  in 
their  midst  there  looms  the  three-storied  Ark,  with 
its  one  door — set  within  the  side,  and  the  one 
window,  in  the  top.  At  the  words : 

"As  IT  WAS  ...  so  SHALL  IT  BE/'  the  three- 
storied  Ark  blazes  forth  throughout  obscurity,  and 
we  perceive  that  its  three  stories  are  composed  of 
none  other  material  than  the  combined,  united, 
three-fold  efforts  of  a  loving,  Triune  God.  The 
dispensation  of  the  SON  was  builded  upon  the 
sure  foundation  of  the  Father's  love  (John  3:16)  ; 
the  dispensation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  built  upon 
that  of  the  Son  (John  16:7). 

The  OPEN  DOOR  within  the  side  that  seemed  but 
common-place  before,  now  fills  our  hearts  with 
love — our  eyes  with  tears,  for  the  Spirit  whispers : 

"The  Door?  Who  could  it  be  but  Jesus,  through 
whose  wounded  side  a  new  and  living  way  was 
opened,  leading  through  Himself  unto  the  depths 
of  the  Father's  love  and  the  heights  of  the  Spirit's 
power?" 

Again  we  hear  the  call  ring  in  our  ears : 

"Come,  thon,  and  all  thy  house,  into  the  Ark"- 
we  see  the  Bridal  Company  passing  through  the 
Door — separated  and  shut  away  from  the  outside 

536 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

Avorld,  within  the  staunch  and  storm-proof  vessel 
of  the  Triune  God  that  will  weather  every  gale. 

In  the  CLOSING  OF  THE  DOOR  we  see  the  closing  of 
the  day  of  mercy. 

In  the  FALLING  OF  THE  RAIN — the  raging  of  the 
seas — the  rising  of  the  floods  that  envelop  the 
earth  and  all  that  therein  is  (Rev.  16),  we  see  the 
coining  tribulation  and  dire  sorrow  soon  to  burst 
upon  this  world. 

The  RISING  OF  THE  ARK,  surmounting  every  wave, 
shielding  the  little,  chosen,  faithful  few  from 
wind  and  rain,  is  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit, 
enveloping,  catching  up  the  Bride,  and  holding 
her  on  high  above  the  turmoil  of  coming  tribu- 
lation's waves. 

THE    WARNING,    HASTY    FLIGHT    AND    ESCAPE   OF    THE 

BRIDE— Gen.  19:17-30. 

The  Bride — small  in  number  (Math.  7:14)  — 
despised  of  men — beloved  of  God — how  she  rises 
from  each  Spirit-filled  page,  as  the  Spirit  takes 
the  things  of  Christ  and  reveals  them  unto  us. 

We  turn  our  eyes  upon  the  destruction  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  and  again,  as  the  Spirit's  hand 
sweeps  back  the  curtain,  we  find  ourselves  gazing 
into  the  living,  surging  throngs  of  today — the 
vain,  sin-filled  earth — the  coming  tribulation — the 
escape  of  the  obedient  few  and  the  falling  of  God's 
fiery  wrath. 

In  that  wicked  city,  Sodom,  we  see  our  lands 
today,  wherein  wickedness  has  waxed  worse  and 
worse. 

In  the  humble,  obedient  Lot,  we  see  the  Bride 
dwelling  in  the  midst  of  a  perverse  and  crooked 
generation,  in  the  world  and  yet  not  of  it. 

In  the  coming  of  the  two  at i gels  at  even,  and 
their  warning  cry  at  midnight,  we  recognize  the 
"SPIRIT  AND  THE  WORD;"  warning  of  the  coming 
tribulation  and  urging  instant  flight.  As  soon  as 

537 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  two  angels  had  warned  Lot,  he,  in  turn,  hasten- 
ing to  warn  his  sons-in-law,  crying: 

"Up,  get  you  out  of  this  place,  for  the  Lord  will 
destroy  this  city"  This  is  the  cry  of  the  CHURCH 
today  as  she  prepares  to  leave  this  earth. 

In  the  mocking  and  unbelief  of  the  sons-in-law 
we  see  mirrored  the  attitude  of  the  world  at  large 
today  when  warned  of  the  impending  \vrath  of 
God. 

As  they  lingered,  the  two  angels  laid  hold  upon 
the  hands  of  Lot,  his  wife  and  his  two  daughters, 
and  brought  them  forth  and  set  them  without  the 
city.  The  Spirit  and  the  Word  are  today  laying 
hold  upon  the  hands  of  God's  little  children  and 
bringing  them  forth  and  setting  them  without  the 
city  in  a  life  of  real  separation  unto  the  Lord. 

The  cry — "Escape  for  thy  life,  look  not  behind 
thee,  neither  stay  thee  in  all  the  plain — escape  to 
the  mountain  lest  thou  be  consumed,"  is  the  cry  of 
the  Spirit  and  the  Word  to  God's  little  family  to- 
day. "Escape  for  thy  life,  destruction  is  coming, 
no  time  to  look  back  now;  neither  stay  thou  in  all 
the  plain"  for  the  Lord  is  calling  a  called-out,  out 
of  a  called-out,  out  of  a  called-out  people  who  will 
escape  to  the  mountains  (rise  up  into  the  heights 
of  God). 

At  the  hesitation  of  Lot,  the  cry  of  "Haste  thee, 
for  I  cannot  do  anything  until  thou  be  come 
hither,"  we  find  mingled  with  the  cry  of  the  angel 
ascending  from  the  east  in  Kev.  7:2-3,  "hurt  not 
the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  until  we 
have  sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their 
foreheads." 

In  the  looking  back  and  the  turning  to  a  pillar 
of  salt  of  Lot's  wife,  we  see  the  condition  of  back- 
sliding churches  and  individuals  today,  standing, 
stiff  and  frozen,  at  the  very  point  where  they  first 
looked  back.  This  is  no  time  for  looking  back, 
'tis  a  time  to  go  forth  quickly,  Bless  the  Lord. 

538 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

In  the  raining  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  of 
brimstone  and  fire  from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven — 
the  overthrow  of  the  cities  and  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  cities,  and  that  which  grew  upon  the 
ground"  we  recognize  the  fiery  wrath  and  indig- 
nation and  judgment  of  God,  the  great  tribulation 
foretold  in  Revelation. 

Lot  and  his  daughters  took  refuge  in  a  cave  in 
the  mountain.  The  Cave  in  which  we  hide  is 
Christ;  the  Cave  is  in  the  Mountain — God  (Dan. 
2:45.) 

In  the  safe  refuge  of  Lot  and  his  daughters  in 
the  cave  in  the  mountain  we  see  the  faithful 
children  of  the  Lord  whose  lives  are  hidden  away 
with  Christ  in  God,  far  above  the  fiery  indignation 
poured  upon  the  earth. 

THE    SPIRIT    ABIDES    WITH    AND    GUIDES    THE    BRIDE 

FROM   THE  WELL  OF  SALVATION   TO   THE  ARMS 

OF  THE  BRIDEGROOM. 

Gen.  24. 

Turning  the  pages  we  open  at  the  story  of 
Rebecca,  the  bride  chosen  for  Isaac  by  Eliezer,  the 
servant  of  Abraham. 

Again  the  Spirit  holds  aloft  the  light  of  Revela- 
tion, and  again  the  printed  page,  with  its  history 
of  what  seemed  at  first  glance  but  an  interesting 
account  of  the  romance  and  love  of  an  earthly 
Isaac  and  Rebecca,  fades  away. 

We  find  ourselves  gazing  into  the  mirror  of 
yesterday,  which  throws  back  the  reflection  of 
today. 

REBECCA  RISES  with  a  new  dignity — the  dignity  of 

the  Bride  of  Christ— 
AND  COMING  OUT — (separation)  — 
To  THE  WELL — (salvation)  — 
GOES  DOWN — (humility) 

539 


THIS  IS  THAT 

AND  FILLS  HER  PITCHER — (with  joy  shall  ye  draw 

waters  from  the  wells  of 
salvation) — 

AND  COMES  UP — (the  way  down  is  the  way  up — "he 
who  humbleth  himself  shall  be  ex- 
alted.") 

As  the  servant  runs  to  meet  her;  tells  her  of  the 
glorious  Bridegroom  far  away,  and  opens  the  door 
to  bridehood,  the  light  of  understanding  falls 
upon  him,  and  we  recognize  at  once  the  blessed 
Holy  Spirit — sent  to  guide  us  into  all  truth. 
(John  16:13.) 

KUNNING  to  meet  the  pure  in  heart  at  salvation's 
well — 

KEVEALING  the  beauties  and  attributes  of  the 
Heavenly  Bridegroom,  and — 

INVITING  all  who  are  willing  to  bid  farewell  to 
earth's  dearest  relations  and  ties,  to  mount  the 
bumpy  camel  of  daily  tests  and  trials  (knowing 
that  when  we  are  tried  we  shall  come  forth  as 
pure  gold)  — 

LED  BY  the  Spirit,  and  go  forth  to  meet  the 
Bridegroom.  (Mat.  25:6.) 

In  Isaac's  walking  forth  in  the  field  to  meet 
Rebecca  at  eventide,  we  see  in  type  our  Bridegroom 
Jesus  coming  forth  in  the  clouds  to  meet  His 
Bride  at  the  end  of  her  pilgrim  journey. 

And  when  Eebecca,  lifting  up  her  eyes,  beholds 
Isaac,  and  alights  from  off  her  camel,  our  hearts 
leap  within  us  at  the  vision  of  the  day  when  the 
Bride's  lifted  eyes  shall  behold  her  Redeemer. 
Then  shall  she  alight  forever  from  the  camel  of 
tests  and  trials  and  hardships,  and  all  her  tears 
shall  be  wiped  away. 

In  the  veil  with  which  she  covered  herself  we 
behold  the  Bride  at  His  coming,  completely  shut 
off  and  obscured  from  the  sight  of  the  world. 

The    closing    words:      "And    SHE    BECAME    HIS 

540 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

WIFE,"  set  the  chiming  wedding  bells  of  Revelation 
19 :7  ringing  in  our  hearts. 

The  words:  "And  HE  LOVED  HER"  flood  our 
souls  and  overwhelm  us  with  holy  joy  and  rapture. 
If,  Avhen  we  were  yet  sinners,  He  loved  us  enough 
to  shed  His  blood  for  us;  if  He  loved  us  at  the 
cross  enough  to  wash  our  sins  away;  if  He  loved 
us  enough  to  fill  us  with  His  Spirit  and  put  the 
finely  embroidered  wedding  gown  upon  us,  what 
mortal  pen  can  be  enough  inspired — the  boundaries 
of  what  human  mind  can  be  enough  enlarged  to 
depict  the  LOVE  that  will  be  lavished  upon  the 
Bride  when  she  becomes — (O,  holy,  sacred  word) 
— His  wife! 

CONSECRATION  UNTO  LIFE  OR  DEATH — GLEANING — 
HUMILITY,  AND  REWARD  OF  THE  BRIDE. 

Ruth   1,2,3,4. 

Turning  to  the  book  of  Ruth  we  again  behold 
the  Bride. 

Chapter  One,  LEAVING  HER  NATIVE  COUNTRY,  fol- 
lowing the  God  of  Naomi,  and  making  her  conse- 
cration, which  was  to  be  unto  life  or  death. 

Chapter  Two,  GLEANING  in  the  fields,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end  of  the  harvest — gathering 
sheaves — watched  over  and  fed  by  the  Bridegroom, 
Boaz. 

In  Chapter  Three,  we  behold  her  LOVE  FOR  THE 
BRIDEGROOM,,  and  her  desire  to  be  his  bride,  and  the 
deeper  consecration  that  caused  her  (verse  3)  to 
WASH  HERSELF  (from  all  her  works  and  labors) 

ANOINT  HERSELF  WITH  OIL  (the  anointing  that 
abides — the  oil  of  the  Spirit) 

PUT  HER  RAIMENT  UPON  HER  (the  fine  linen,  clean 
and  white,  which  is  the  righteousness  of  the 
saints,  Rev.  19  :8,  embroidered  with  the  fine 
needlework  and  wrought  gold  of  Psalms 
45:13-14), 

541 


THIS  IS  THAT 

AND  GET  HER  DOWN  TO  THE  FLOOR  (in  lowliness 
and  humility  to  lie  at  the  feet  and  mercy  of 
the  Bridegroom,  covered  with  the  skirt  of 
his  garment  (verse  13)  "till  the  morning'7 
breaks  and  the  shadows  flee  away.) 

In  Chapter  Four  we  behold  RUTH  THE  BRIDE, 
who,  though  shut  out  by  her  nearest  kin — the  Law 
— who  was  unable  to  redeem  her  ( Deut.  23  :3 ) , 
was  admitted  by  Grace  when  wedded  to  Boaz,  who 
became  at  once  her  Redeemer  and  her  Bridegroom. 
What  a  picture !  Bless  the  Lord ! 

THE    BRIDE,    TRUE    IN    THE    MIDST    OF    FIERY    TRIAL. 
PROTECTED  FROM   ITS  BLAST.      Dan.    3:21. 

The  pages  turn  again.  This  time  we  gaze  upon 
the  three  Hebrew  children,  Shadrach,  Meshach  and 
Abed-nego. 

Firmly  do  they  refuse  to  bend  the  knee  in 
worship  or  in  compromise  to  the  gods  of  this 
world. 

Fearlessly,  their  words  ring  out,  declaring  un- 
swerving faith  and  allegiance  to  Jehovah,  the  one 
true  God. 

Breathlessly,  we  watch  them  bound  in  their 
coats,  hosen,  hats  and  other  garments;  cast  into 
the  midst  of  the  burning,  fiery  furnace,  protected, 
preserved,  and  delivered  from  the  heat  of  the 
flame. 

Then,  all  at  once,  we  opened  our  eyes  in  amazed 
recognition  and  look  again  to  find,  as  the  burning 
flame  penetrates  the  mists  of  types  and  shadows, 
that  these  THREE  (with  the  Son  of  God  in  their 
midst)  are  none  other  than  the  BRIDE  herself, 
BODY,  SOUL  and  SPIRIT,  protected  and  preserved 
amidst  the  raging  flames.  (/  pray  God  your  whole 
spirit  and  soul  and  ~body  be  preserved  blameless 
unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  Jesus  Christ — 
IThess.  5:23.) 

542 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

Walking  unharmed  in  the  midst  of  temptation 
and  fiery  trial,  without  the  smell  of  scorching,  we 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  glorious  Bride  who  is 
being  prepared  by  the  Spirit  to  abide  the  "day  of* 
His  coming"  (Mai.  3:2),  and  to  dwell  with  our 
God,  who  is  a  consuming  fire. 

Suddenly  the  furnace  door  swings  wide,  and  the 
voice  of  the  King  is  heard  crying: 

"Ye  servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  'COME 
FORTH'  and  'COME  HITHER' \  and  with  eyes 
of  faith  and  hope  we  see  a  doorway  opening  in 
the  heavens,  leading  from  the  furnace  of  this 
world  into  the  presence  of  the  King,  and  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Kingly  Bridegroom  saying : 

"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servants,  'COME 

'UP,   higher  'OUT  OF'  the  'FIERY  FURNACE' 

and  'TRIALS  OF  EARTH/  and  be  thou  promoted 

in  My  provinces,  even  to  My  throne  to  reign  with 

Me." 

THE    PRAYING    BRIDE    DWELLS    THROUGH    THE    NIGHT 
WITH   LOCK- JAWED   LIONS,  AND   IS  LIFTED 

AT  BREAK  OF  DAY.    Dan.  6  :10-23. 

Next  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  praying  bride  as 
revealed  through  the  prophet  Daniel. 

His  eyes  of  discernment  are  open  wide  (Dan. 
5:25-28.) 

The  windows  of  his  chamber  (the  eyes  of  his 
soul)  are  open  toward  Jerusalem  (the  coming  of 
the  Lord— Kev.  21:2). 

Neither  threat  nor  cunning  of  the  enemy  could 
stop  this  valiant,  earnest  soul  who,  down  in  the 
depths  of  the  lions'  den,  watched  and  prayed  while 
the  angel  of  the  Lord  held  and  locked  the  lions' 
jaws. 

At  break  of  day  the  stone  was  rolled  away  from 
the  mouth  of  the  den,  and  the  voice  of  the  King 
was  heard  saying: 

"It  is  enough,  come  up  unto  me,"  and  Daniel 

543 


THIS  IS  THAT- 

was  lifted  from  the  lions'  den,  and  stood  upon  his 
feet  beside  the  King. 

The  BRIDE  of  King  Jesus,  though  shut  in  by 
the  dark  night  of  this  world,  and  surrounded  by 
raging  lions — demons  and  men,  who  would  gladly 
gnash  upon  her  and  rend  her  with  their  teeth — is 
protected  by  the  Holy  Spirit  (the  angel  of  the 
Lord),  who  shuts  the  mouths  of  all  who  would 
destroy  her. 

Watchfully,  trustfully,  she  lifts  her  eyes,  clear, 
undimmed,  luminous  with  the  light  of  faith,  and 
fixes  them  upon  the  door  in  momentary  expect- 
ancy. 

Well  does  she  know  that  He  who  will  come,  will 
come  and  not  tarry.  Well  does  she  know  that  the 
long  night  will  soon  be  over  and  that  at  break  of 
day  the  King's  voice  will  be  heard  calling  her  from 
above,  as  He  rolls  back  the  clouds  and  opens  a 
door  in  Heaven  through  which  He  will  lift  her 
forever  from  the  lions'  den  of  this  world  into  His 
own  glorious  presence,  in  that  land  where  no 
ravenous  beast  can  come. 

In  verse  24  we  behold  the  wicked  ones  who  had 
cast  her  into  the  den  of  trials  and  persecutions, 
themselves  cast  into  the  midst  of  the  furious, 
ravenous  beasts.  No  angel's  hand  will  be  there 
to  stay  their  fury;  all  their  bones  shall  be  broken 
and  they  shall  be  utterly  consumed. 

Here  again  is  the  tribulation  which  immediately 
follows  the  catching  up  of  the  Bride  into  the 
presence  of  the  King. 

THE   SLAIN    LAMB    MUST    HAVE    A    SLAIN    BRIDE THE 

RESURRECTED  BRIDEGROOM  A  RESURRECTED  BRIDE. 

On  and  on  through  the  long,  heaven-canopied  cor- 
ridors of  the  Word,  the  Spirit  leads,  until  at  last  a 
hush  enwraps  our  souls,  as  Ave  are  brought  to  a 
manger,  and  our  reverent  eyes,  looking  down  into 

544 


THE  BRIDE  IN  HER  VEIL  OF  TYPES  AND  SHADOWS 

its  depths,  behold  the  Christ-child  cradled  in  its 
soft  embrace. 

The  Holy  Spirit — Christ-revealing  Guide — softly 
whispers  in  our  ear : 

"As  He  was  in  the  world,  so  shall  you  be  .  .  . 
that  when  He  shall  appear  ye  shall  be  like  Him 
and  see  Him  as  He  is." 

Looking  still  upon  the  tiny  form,  the  Christ- 
child  fades  from  our  vision;  and  in  its  place  we 
see  the  Christ-life  of  the  Bride,  conceived  and 
brought  forth  from  a  pure  and  virgin  life,  o'er- 
shadowed  by  the  Holy  Spirit's  power.  (Luke  1:35.) 

As  the  child  in  stature  grows  (Eph.  4:15)  from 
milk  to  meat  (Heb.  5:13-14),  we  see  him  walking 
ever  in  the  shadow  and  the  glory  of  the  Cross. 
(Mat.  16:24.) 

Knowing  Him  in  the  fellowship  of  His  suffer- 
ings, the  Bride  dies  out  to  earth  and  self,  until 
she  cries  aloud  with  Paul: 

"I  am  crucified  with  Christ;  nevertheless  I  live,' 
yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me;  and  the  life  that 
I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  thq 
Son  of  God;  who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for 
me."  (Gal.  2:20.) 

Thus  we  behold  the  Bride — the  Lamb's  wife, 
knowing  Him  not  only  in  the  fellowship  of  His 
sufferings,  but  also  in  the  power  of  His  resur- 
rection; yielding  herself  as  one  who  is  alive  from 
the  dead — one  who  is  risen  with  Him  and  shall, 
therefore,  reign  with  Him  forevermore.  Just  as 
resurrection  power  preceded  the  translation  of  our 
Lord,  so  the  Bride,  now  rising  up  and  coming 
forth  in  resurrected  glory,  shall  soon  receive  the 
translation  power  of  Acts  1:9,  I  Thess.  4:17,  and 
rise  mid-air,  to  meet  her  Lord. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  many  mist-wrapt 
types  unveiled  before  our  eyes — a  few  of  the  erst- 
while concealing  shadows  now  dispersed  by  the 

545 


THIS  IS  THAT 

illumination  of  the  Spirit  as  He  reveals  the  Bride 
before  our  wondering  eyes.  ( John  14 :26,  John 
16:13-14.) 

We  might  continue  our  search  of  the  hidden 
treasures  revealed  through  Esther,  the  Songs  of 
Solomon,  the  ten  virgins  with  their  lamps,  and 
many  others. 

We  might  press  on  and  gaze  through  the  eyes  of 
"John  the  Beloved"  from  Patmos,  the  blest  and 
sea-bound  isle,  at  the  glorious,  REIGNING  BRIDE, 
seated  with  her  royal  Bridegroom  upon  His  throne. 

We  might  gaze  upon  the  regal  power  and  splen- 
dor with  which  the  King  hath  clothed  her — upon 
the  Heavenly  Jerusalem  in  which  she  dwells,  with 
its  streets  of  gold,  its  jeweled  walls,  its  gates 
of  pearl,  its  flowers  that  never  fade,  and  the  fruits 
that  ne'er  decay,  its  sea  of  glass,  its  ransomed 
throng  Avith  harps  of  gold,  and  its  light  that  never 
shall  grow  dim. 

The  time  for  this  afternoon  talk  is  gone,  how- 
ever, before  our  subject  is  well  begun.  But  get 
your  Bibles  down  when  you  go  home,  open  wide  its 
pages,  take  the  lighted  lamp  of  Psalms  119 :105  in 
your  one  hand,  place  the  other  in  the  hand  of  the 
Holy  "Spirit,  and  let  Him  guide  you  through  the 
long,  begemmed,  heaven-lit  corridors  of  God's 
eternal  Word,  that  stretch  in  an  unbroken  line 
from  the  first  verse  of  Genesis  to  the  last  verse  of 
Revelation. 

Then  quicken  your  step,  beloved,  fasten  your 
girdle  tightly  about  you;  bind  your  sandals 
securely  upon  your  feet;  and  with  spotless  robes 
and  glowing  heart,  go  quickly  forth  to  meet  your 
Lord,  for  He  is  coming  soon. 


546 


ISAAC  AND  REBECCA. 

A  REMARKABLE  TYPE  OF  CHRIST  AND   HIS  BRIDE. 

(From  a  sermon,  Bethel  Temple,  Chicago,  111.) 

THERE   are  many  beautiful  types  of  Christ 
and  His  Bride  in  the  Old  Testament.     One 
of  the  most  precious  and  striking  of  these 
types  is  that  of  Isaac  and  Rebecca. 

Just  as  in  the  Word  of  God,  the  whole  story  and 
plan  of  Redemption  circles  around  a  company  of 
four — namely,    the    Father,    the    Son,    the    Holy 
Spirit  and  the  Bride — so,  in  this  type,  the  story  is 
woven  around  the  four  central  figures  of 
Abraham,  who  is  a  type  of  God,  the  Father, 
Isaac,  who  is  a  type  of  Jesus,  the  Son, 
Eliezer,  the  servant,  who  is  a  type  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  sent  from  God  to  search  for  and  bring  the 
Bride,  and 

Rebecca,  who  is  a  type  of  the  Bridal  Body  being 
called  forth  to  meet  the  Bridegroom. 

ISAAC  AND  JESUS,  BOTH  LONG  LOOKED   FOR,   COME  AS 
A    FULFILLMENT    OF   PROMISE. 

For  many  long  years  Sarah  had  looked  forward 
with  intense  longing  for  the  coming  of  Isaac,  the 
birth  of  the  man-child  who  was  to  take  away  her 
shame.  Sometimes  hoping,  sometimes  despairing, 
she  waited  'till  finally  God  spoke  out  of  the  long 
silence,  and  Isaac  came  as  a  fulfillment  of  promise. 

For  centuries  humanity  had  waited  and  looked 
for  the  coming  of  Jesus  the  Son,  who  was  to  re- 
deem and  bear  away  the  shame  of  each  sinner 
wrho  put  his  trust  in  Him.  Then  God  spoke,  by 
His  Spirit,  to  Mary,  and  Jesus  came  as  a  fulfill- 
ment of  the  promise  of  the  Father,  and  a  sacri- 
ficial offering  to  every  one  that  believes. 

Who  can  describe  or  fathom  the  flood  of  love 
that  must  have  filled  the  heart  of  Abraham,  as  he 
looked  upon  his  son,  his  only  son,  Isaac,  the  son 
of  promise.  As  the  lad  grew,  he  was  the  pride  of 

547 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Abraham's  heart;  he  was  the  treasure  of  his  house. 
But  much  as  Abraham  loved  Isaac,  he  loved  God 
more. 

The  greatest  test  of  Love  is  Sacrifice,  and  to 
sound  the  depths  of  Abraham's  love  God  put  him 
to  the  test,  by  saying  to  him : 

"Take  now  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  Isaac,  whom 
thou  lovest,  and  get  thee  unto  the  land  of  Moriah; 
and  offer  him  there  for  a  burnt  offering/'  (Gen. 
22 :2. )  How  similar  is  this  verse  to  John  3  :16, 
which  says :  "God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave 
His  only  begotten  Son." 

Abraham  stood  the  test,  and  rising  up  early  in 
the  morning,  he  saddled  his  ass,  and  taking  with 
him  two  young  men  and  his  son,  he  clave  the  wood 
for  the  burnt  offering,  and  rose  up,  and  went  to 
the  place  God  had  told  him.  Then  came  the  long 
journey,  but  though  his  heart  was  bleeding  with 
love  for  his  only  son,  the  steps  of  the  father  never 
faltered,  but  he  went  on  and  on,  surmounting  every 
hill  of  difficulty,  till  he  saw  the  place  afar  off. 

Bless  His  dear  Name.  How  far  God  our  Father 
journeyed  to  offer  His  Son  Jesus !  He  surmounted 
every  hill;  He  climbed  the  mount  of  Sinai;  He 
never  faltered;  but  though  it  meant  giving  the 
richest  treasure  of  heaven,  the  Son  of  His  bosom, 
He  came  on  and  on  till  at  last  He  saw  the  place, 
and  Calvary's  hill  came  into  view.  Still,  without 
a  moment's  hesitation,  He  journeyed  on.  "For  God 
so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  belicveth  in  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

ISAAC   BEARS   THE   WOOD   TO   HILL   OF   MORIAH,   JESUS 
BEARS  CROSS  TO  TOP  OP  CALVARY'S  HILL." 

"And  Abraham  took  the  wood  for  the  burnt 
offering,  and  laid  it  upon  Isaac  his  son;  and  he 
took  the  fire  in  his  hand,  and  tlie  knife;  and  they 
went,  both  of  them  together."  It  was  Abraham's 
own  hand  that  placed  the  wood  upon  him  whom 

548 


ISAAC  AND  REBECCA 

he  was  to  have  offered,  upon  the  shoulders  of  Isaac, 
as  he  ascended  Mount  Moriah.  It  was  God's  own 
hand  which  willingly  suffered  the  cross  of  wood 
to  be  laid  upon  the  bleeding  back  of  Jesus,  as  He 
bore  it  up  Calvary's  hill. 

"Then  Isaac  spake  unto  Abraham  his  father,  and 
said,  'MY  FATHER* "  (O,  the  great  heartfelt  cry 
of  Jesus— "MY  FATHER,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou 
forsaken  Me?"  Isaac  said: 

"My  father,  here  is  the  fire;  here  is  the  wood; 
but  where  is  the  lamb  for  the  offering?"  And 
Abraham  said: 

"My  son,  God  will  provide  Himself  a  Lamb." 
Ah !  What  a  Lamb,  what  a  bleeding,  spotless  Lamb 
God  did  provide  when  He  gave  Jesus  as  a  pro- 
pitiation for  our  sins! 

A  RAM  TAKES  THE  PLACE  OF  ISAAC,, 
NONE  COULD  TAKE  THE  PLACE  OF  JESUS. 

At  last  the  top  of  the  hill  had  been  reached; 
the  altar  was  completed ;  the  wood  had  been  laid  in 
order,  and  Abraham  had  bound  Isaac  his  son,  and 
laid  him  on  the  wood  on  the  altar.  Then,  just  as 
Abraham  stretched  forth  his  hand  and  took  the 
knife  to  slay  his  son,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called 
to  him  out  of  heaven  (Why,  I  believe  every  angel 
in  Heaven  was  looking  down  to  see  this  wonderful 
exhibition  of  faith  and  obedient  love  to  God),  and 
the  angel  said : 

"Lay  not  thine  hand  upon  the  child,  for  now  I 
know  that  thou  fearest  God,  seeing  that  thou  hast 
not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  son,  from  me" 
(Gen.  22:12.) 

And  Abraham  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  behold, 
behind  him  was  a  ram,  caught  in  a  thicket  by  his 
horns.  And  Abraham  took  the  ram  and  offered 
him  up  for  a  burnt  offering  INSTEAD  OF  HIS 
SON.  A  ram  was  able  to  substitute  for  Isaac,  but 
none  could  ever  substitute  or  fill  the  place  of 
Jesus.  He  was  led  up  Calvary's  hill,  bearing  His 

549 


THIS  IS  THAT 

cross  of  wood.  He  was  laid  like  Isaac  upon  the 
wood,  the  hand  with  the  knife  (the  hand  with  the 
spear,  in  Jesus'  case)  was  raised  for  the  blow,  but 
even  though  the  Father  Himself  had  to  turn  away 
His  face,  no  angel  cried  from  heaven  to  stay  the 
blow.  It  fell,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  flowed  forth 
with  the  healing  of  the  nations  in  its  crimson 
flood.  Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  God,  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  had  paid  the  price;  by 
His  sacrifice  brought  redemption  to  all  who  should 
come  beneath  the  cleansing  blood  forever. 

ABRAHAM  SENDS  HIS  ELDEST  SERVANT  BACK  INTO  HIS 

COUNTRY  TO  SEARCH  OUT  A  BRIDE  FOR  HIS  SON 

ISAAC. — GOD    SENDS    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

BACK  TO  THIS  WORLD  TO  SEARCH 

OUT  AND  BRING  A  BRIDE  FOR 

HIS  SON  JESUS. 

Skipping  lightly  over  the  intervening  years,  we 
come,  in  the  24th  Chapter  of  Genesis,  to  the  day 
when  Abraham  called  his  eldest  servant  to  him 
and  commissioned  him  solemnly  to  go  back  into 
his  own  country  to  choose  a  wife  for  his  son 
Isaac.  Abraham  made  the  servant  SAvear  he  would 
not  choose  a  wife  from  amongst  the  Canaanites, 
where  he  then  dwelt,  but  commanded  him  thus : 

"Go  unto  my  country,  and  to  my  kindred,  and 
take  a  wife  unto  my  son  Isaac." 

How  far  beyond  our  feeble  minds  is  this  great 
love  of  God!  How  the  magnitude  of  His  abound- 
ing grace  o'er  whelms  us  when  we  remember  that 
He  did  not  permit  a  bride  to  be  chosen  from 
amongst  any  of  the  angelic  hosts  of  the  heavenly 
Canaan,  but  sent  the  Comforter,  the  Holy  Spirit, 
back  into  this  Avorld,  which  indeed  is  His  country, 
to  His  kindred — brought  nigh  through  the  blood 
of  His  Son — to  call  out  a  people  who  would  follow 
Him  to  the  great  marriage  of  the  Lamb,  not  only 
as  a  guest,  but  as  the  Bride,  without  spot  or 
blemish.  Hallelujah! 

550 


ISAAC  AND  REBECCA 

"And  the  servant  said  unto  him:  '  Per  adventure 
the  woman  will  not  be  willing  to  follow  me  unto 
this  land:  must  I  needs  briny  thy  son  again  into 
the  land  from  whence  thou  earnest?" 

"And  Abraham  said  unto  him:  ' Beware  that 
thou  brine/  not  my  son  thither  again.  If  the 
woman  will  not  be  willing  to  follow  thee,  then 
thou  shalt  be  clear  of  this  my  oath;  only  briny  not 
my  son  thither  again'." 

I  can  never  read  those  words  of  the  servant, 
"Peradventure  the  woman  wilt  not  be  willing  to 
follow  me,"  without  tears  springing  to  my  eyes.  O 
the  gentle,  pleading,  wooing  draAvings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  He  walks  up  and  down  these  aisles  to- 
night, enquiring:  "Will  you  go?"  There  is  no 
conscription  in  this  Bridal  procession — only  free- 
will enlistment.  But  whether  the  woman  says 
yes  or  no ;  whether  she  is  willing  to  go  to  meet  the 
Heavenly  Isaac  who  shall  soon  appear,  or  chooses 
to  remain  where  she  now  abides,  the  Son  of  God 
will  never  be  brought  here  again  to  plead  with 
her,  or  plead  His  cause  other  than  by  the  Spirit 
sent  down  by  the  Father.  Jesus  has  made  the 
sacrifice;  His  dear  feet  trod  this  earth  to  be  re- 
warded only  by  unbelief  and  spittings  and  death. 
He  will  never  come  again  to  be  beaten,  rejected, 
and  nailed  to  the  tree;  the  next  time  He  comes  it 
will  be  with  power  and  great  glory.  His  kingly 
robes  will  be  upon  Him;  His  sceptre  will  be  in 
His  hand.  Whether  you  will  be  willing  to  follow 
the  leadings  of  the  Spirit  who  has  come  to  guide 
you  into  all  truth,  or  not,  must  rest  with  you  to- 
night. What  have  you  decided  to  reply  to  this 
invitation  ? 

Each  man,  woman  and  child  in  the  world,  irre- 
spective of  earthly  standing,  color  or  creed,  is 
invited  to  accept  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit  and 
follow  Him  to  meet  Jesus,  the  heavenly  Bride- 
groom. If  you  would  find  this  heavenly  guide  I 

551 


THIS  IS  THAT 

will  tell  you  where  to  find  Him — at  the  well  of 
Salvation. 

ELEIZER  WAITS  FOR  REBECCA  AT  THE  WELL  OP  WATER. 

—THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  MEETS   AND   CHOOSES  THE 

BRIDE  AT  THE  WELL  OF  SALVATION. 

As  Abraham's  servant  journeys  he  comes  to  the 
well,  where  the  daughters  were  wont  to  bring  their 
pitchers  for  water.  There  he  prays,  and  waits  for 
the  coming  of  the  bride,  saying: 

"Behold,  I  stand  here  by  the  well  of  ivater." 
Dear  child  of  God,  you  who  have  drawn  with  joy 
from  the  wells  of  Salvation,  lift  up  your  eyes  to- 
night and  behold  the  Spirit,  open  your  ears  and 
hear  Him  say: 

"Behold,  here  I  stand,  waiting  to  baptize  you 
and  lead  you  on  to  meet  your  Jesus." 

"And  it  came  to  pass,  before  He  had  done 
speaking,  that  behold  Rebecca  came  out."  HOWT 
similar  is  this  instance  to  that  recorded  in  Acts 
10:44.  "While  Peter  yet  spake  these  words,  the 
Holy  Spirit  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the 
Word!"  He  is  speaking  to  you  now;  will  you  re- 
ceive Him? 

"Behold.  Rebecca  came  out"  (He  is  calling  a 
come  out  people  these  days,  a  called-out,  separated 
people)  "with  her  pitcher  upon  her  shoulder.  And 
the  damsel  was  very  fair  to  look  upon,  a  virgin, 
neither  had  any  man  known  her;  and  she  went 
down  to  the  well,  and  filled  her  pitcher  and  came 
up." 

As  I  look  over  your  faces  it  seems  I  can  almost 
pick  out  the  Rebeccas  who  have  come  here  tonight 
Avith  their  pitchers  on  their  shoulders,  empty 
pitchers,  clean  pitchers,  ready  to  go  down  in  humil- 
ity to  draw  from  this  inexhaustible  well  of  Salva- 
tion. If  your  pitchers — or  heads — are  filled  with 
learning  or  earthly  wisdom,  you  must  empty  them 
out  in  order  to  be  filled  at  this  well.  No  matter 
how  big  or  great  you  may  be  you  must  all  alike 

552 


ISAAC  AND  REBECCA 

get  down  in  humility  to  dr«A\r  with  joy  from  these 
waters.  Rebecca  went  down  and  filled  her  pitcher, 
and  came  up!  The  Avay  up  is  down,  bless  God. 

We  read  that  the  servant  ran  to  meet  her,  just 
as  the  Spirit  is  running  to  meet  you  tonight.  At 
his  invitation  she  gave  him  to  drink,  and  all  his 
camels  did  she  draw  for  also.  The  Word  says : 
"She  hasted,  and  emptied  her  pitcher  into  the 
trough,  and  ran  again  unto  the  well  to  draw  water 
for  his  camels."  Dear  ones,  is  your  pitcher  empty 
enough,  are  you  down  low  enough,  to  have  this 
abundant  supply  that  not  only  satisfies  the  demand 
of  your  own  soul,  but  hastens  to  draw  and  empty 
for  others  about  you,  knowing,  with  unbroken 
confidence,  that  you  can  run  again  to  the  well  and 
draw  again  and  again  from  the  hidden  source  that 
never  runs  dry? 

8he  was  fair  to  look  upon.  Can  the  Lord  look 
down  into  the  depths  of  your  soul  and  say :  "Thou 
art  fair,  My  love,  there  is  no  spot  in  thee?"  Are 
you  a  virgin,  pure  in  heart,  that  knows  not  the  old 
man  of  sin  and  worldliness?  Then  the  Spirit  is 
calling  you  to  be  a  member  of  the  Bridal  Body. 
Earrings,  and  bracelets  and  precious  gifts  were 
given  to  Rebecca,  and  she  returned  with  the  ser- 
vant to  her  parents'  house,  and  there  the  servant 
brought  forth  jewels  of  silver  (which  represents 
Atonement),  jewels  of  gold  (or  the  Divine  nature 
of  Jesus),  and  raiment  (which  typifies  the  Right- 
eousness of  Jesus),  and  the  marriage  robe.  These 
he  gave  to  Rebecca.  Then  to  the  brother  and  the 
mother  he  also  gave  precious  things.  But  though 
there  are  precious  things  to  be  given  to  those  who 
do  not  go  all  the  way  through  to  the  perfection  of 
full  sacrifice,  the  Bride  receives  the  best  and  most 
beautiful  gifts.  There  is  no  comparison  to  be 
made  between  the  two. 

Then  before  eating  or  drinking,  the  servant  told 
his  message,  and  of  the  wonderful  master  Isaac, 

553 


THIS  IS  THAT 

arid  his  beautiful  home,  far  away,  and  of  his  desire 
to  take  Rebecca  to  this  home  to  be  the  son's  Bride. 

"And  they  said,  'We  will  call  the  damsel  and 
enquire  at  her  mouth/  And  they  called  Rebecca, 
and  said  unto  her: 

"'Wilt  thou  go  with  this  man?9  and  she  said: 
"  'I  will  go'.7' 

This  is  the  great  question  of  today,  the  question 
now  facing  each  one  of  you,  "Wilt  thou  go  with 
this  man?"  Each  individual  must  answer  it  for 
himself  and  herself.  Oh,  can  you  say,  as  Rebecca  of 
old,  "  'I  will  go!' Where  He  leads  me  I  will  follow"? 
Trust  yourself  in  His  hands,  and  He  will  never 
leave  you  till  you  are  safe  in  the  arms  of  Jesus. 

As  Rebecca  journeyed  through  the  wilderness 
she  did  not  lose  her  way;  she  did  not  have  to  run 
about  enquiring  of  every  passer-by  which  road  to 
take ;  the  Servant  had  come  to  guide,  lead,  yea,  and 
carry  her,  all  the  way  to  Isaac's  house.  What 
tales  he  told  her  by  the  way,  how  her  heart  was 
gladdened  and  lifted  above  all  earthly  things,  as 
she  listened  to  his  glowing  description  of  her 
Bridegroom  and  his  home  awaiting  her.  I  am 
sure  she  forgot  the  bumpy  camels,  and  the  dusty 
road,  and  the  blazing  sun,  as  she  pressed  on  to- 
ward the  longed-for  moment  when  she  should  see 
him  face  to  face. 

Just  so  is  the  Holy  Spirit  leading  and  guiding 
all  who  will  receive  Him  and  follow  Him,  over 
every  obstacle,  surmounting  every  hill  of  difficulty, 
taking  the  things  of  Jesus  and  revealing  them  unto 
us  as  we  journey,  till  we  cry  out  in  longing : 

"O  Lord  Jesus,  how  long  till  we  shall  see  Your 
blessed  face?"  Our  hearts  swell  with  love  and 
gratitude,  and  unutterable  longing,  as  the  Spirit 
speaks,  "not  of  Himself  but  of  Jesus,  our  Bride- 
groom, and  lover  divine. 

At  last,  after  long  days  of  traveling  we  read  of 
that  wonderful  meeting. 

554 


ISAAC  AND  REBECCA 

ISAAC  MET  REBECCA   IN  THE   FIELD. — JESUS   TO  MEET 
HIS  BRIDE  IN  THE  AIR. 

As  Isaac  went  out  to  meditate  in  the  field  at 
eventide,,  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  behold,  the 
camels  were  coming!  O  Jesus!  Jesus!  He  is  lift- 
ing up  His  eyes  just  now,  this  very  eventide,  and 
He  sees,  and  beholds  the  camels  are  coming.  Are 
you  amongst  that  little  company  that  is  swiftly 
coming  up  the  road  to  meet  Him?  Steadily, 
surely,  we  are  drawing  near  the  glorious  day,  dear 
pilgrims,  when  the  consummation  of  our  journey 
will  arrive  and  we,  as  Rebecca,  will  lift  up  our 
eyes  and  see  our  Bridegroom;  and  even  now,  as  we 
see  in  faith  our  Bridegroom  from  afar,  we  should 
take  the  vail  of  greater  separation,  and  cover  our- 
selves, that  we  shall  indeed  be  a  separated  people 
unto  Him. 

We  read  of  Isaac  that  he  brought  her  into  his 
mother's  tent  and  took  Rebecca,  and  she  became 
his  wife,  and  He  loved  her.  Soon  our  Saviour 
shall  come  for  His  Bride  who  has  set  out  to  meet 
Him,  come  for  those  Avho  have  heard  and  answered 
the  call : 

"Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh,  c/o  ye  out  to 
meet  Him"  Soon  the  great  song  will  resound. 
"Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  for  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  hath  come,  and  the  wife  has  made  herself 
ready."  The  tables  are  being  spread,  the  marriage 
is  at  hand.  Beloved,  will  you  go,  will  you  receive 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  let  Him  guide  you  to  the 
wedding  of  the  Lamb? 

If  you  have  not  yet  found  the  well  of  Salvation, 
empty  that  pitcher  you  carry  upon  your  shoulder, 
and  get  you  down  in  haste  to  the  wells  of  Salva- 
tion, for  it  is  there  you  will  meet  and  receive  the 
Holy  Spirit,  who,  if  you  will  follow  Him,  will  lead 
you  on  over  the  hills  and  through  the  valleys  till 
you  meet  your  Bridegroom  in  the  air. 


555 


THE  LIFE  AND  GROWTH  OF  PETER, 

IT  is  not  only  God's  will,  but  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  and  essential  that  every  child  of  God 
should  grow  in  grace  and  enlarge  in  love  daily. 
When  I -was  a  little  girl  my  Mother  used  to  stand 
me  up  at  the  door  once  in  so  often  and  take  a 
pencil  and  make  a  little  mark  just  at  the  top  of 
my  head  on  the  frame  of  the  door.  After  a  few 
more  weeks  she  would  again  put  another  mark 
above  the  last  one  to  measure  and  see  how  much 
I  had  grown  since  the  last  mark  was  made.  It  is 
a  good  thing  for  Christians  to  measure  themselves 
carefully  and  frequently,  not  by  one  another,  but 
by  the  Word  of  God.  God's  Word  is  a  true  meas- 
ing  rod,  also  the  life  of  Paul,  of  Peter,  and  many 
others.  Let  us  take  the  latter,  the  life  and  growth 
of  Peter,  today,  and  see  whether  we  have  grown 
as  quickly  and  as  much  as  he;  if  not,  let  us  press 
on,  for  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  and  what 
He  has  done  for  Peter  He  is  not  only  able  but 
anxious  to  do  for  us. 

Peter's  first  sight  of  Jesus  came  unexpectedly, 
one  day  as  he  was  about  to  cast  his  net  into  the 
sea.  Jesus  saw  Peter,  and  went  and  spoke  to  him, 
saying : 

"Follow  me  and  I  will  make  you  a  fisher  of 
men."  Peter  straightway  left  his  net  and  followed 
Jesus.  Dear  one,  do  you  remember  the  day  when 
first  your  eyes  were  opened  to  the  lovely  form  of 
Jesus  walking  along  the  shores  of  time  to  your 
heart,  when  first  you  heard  that  dear  voice,  sweet 
as  the  sound  of  rushing  water,  bidding  you  to 
leave  your  nets  of  worldly  cares  and  your  sinful 
life  and  follow  Him?  Praise  His  name,  just  one 
sight  of  that  lovely  face  and  all  other  faces  lost 

556 


THE  LIFE  AND  GROWTH  OF  PETER 

their  attraction  and  power  to  satisfy;  just  one  ca- 
dence of  His  voice,  and  earthly  voices  lost  their 
charm.  Hallelujah!  No  wonder  Peter  left  his 
old,  worn-out  fishing  nets  and  followed;  no  won- 
der we  left  our  unrighteousness  and  accepted  His 
righteousness. 

Straightway  Peter  left  his  nets  and  followed 
Him.  How  eagerly  he  promised  to  follow,  and 
how  little  he  understood  just  where  the  following 
would  lead  him.  No  shadow  of  the  cross  did  he 
see,  no  whisperings  of  a  dark  night  when  he  Avould 
deny  his  Lord,  the  future  with  its  train  of  joys 
and  sorrows,  its  victories  and  defeats,  its  honor 
and  dishonor;  no  visions  of  a  cross  where  he  him- 
self should  hang,  Avere  foreseen  as  he  eagerly  and 
joyfully  promised  to  follow  all  the  Avay. 

HOAV  little  did  we  realize  the  mountain  tops  of 
transfiguration  and  the  valleys  of  trial  we  should 
pass  Avhen  our  hearts  said  yes  to  Jesus  and  prom- 
ised to  folloAv  all  the  Avay.  The  main  and  most 
important  thing  is  to  say  an  eternal  Yes  to  Jesus, 
and  Avhether  it  is  Aveal  or  whether  it  is  Avoe,  the 
Jesus  Avho  took  Peter  through  Avill  bring  us  forth 
triumphant  if  Ave  trust  and  folloAv  all  the  AAray. 

Through  the  many  days  that  followed,  wonderful 
days  lived  in  the  presence  of  Jesus,  precious  days 
of  submitting  to  His  leadings  and  dealings,  Peter 
learned  the  meaning  of  faith  and  trust.  He  had 
seen  his  ,  wife's  mother  instantly  healed  of  the 
fever;  he  had  witnessed  the  healings  of  many  sick, 
and  the  raising  of  the  dead;  he  had  beheld  and  as- 
sisted in  the  feeding  of  the  multitudes;  and  noAV 
in  the  14th  chapter  of  Matthew,  we  find  him  in  the 
ship  with  the  other  disciples,  tossed  and  driven  by 
the  tempestuous  waves  of  the  sea. 

Dimly  through  the  darkness  of  the  night,  then 
clearer  and  more  distinctly,  they  saAV  a  calm  figure 
in  white  raiment  Avalking  to  meet  them  on  the 
Avaves,  and  in  fear  they  cried  out :  "It  is  a  spirit." 

557 


THIS  IS  THAT 

O,  faint  heart,  tempest-tossed  in  your  frail  craft 
of  faith,  have  you  ever  found  your  Lord  walking 
to  meet  you  over  the  roughest  wave  of  trial,  sur- 
mounting the  highest  crest  of  difficulty  and  tests? 
Did  you,  like  Peter,  fail  to  recognize  Jesus  as  you 
were  passing  through  the  storm?  Or  have  you 
learned  to  see  Jesus  in  every  test  walking  forth  to 
reveal  Himself  to  you  in  some  new  attribute,  in 
greater  beauty  and  power  than  you  have  yet 
known  Him?  And  when  all  around  you  seemed 
turmoil  and  strife,  and  you  saw  nothing  but  cir- 
cumstances and  trials,  did  you  ever  hear  His  voice 
saying:  "It  is  I;  be  not  afraid"?  Cease  seeing' 
waves  and  tests  and  turmoil,  and  recognize  the 
Jesus  that  walks  to  meet  us  on  their  billows. 

Have  you  ever,  like  dear  Peter,  had  your  faith 
inspired  and  encouraged  by  that  word,  "Come," 
till  you  swung  your  feet  over  the  side  of  your  small 
craft,  and  yourself  began  to  walk  in  naked  faith, 
with  all  material  and  earthly  foundations  removed 
from  beneath  your  feet,  to  meet  the  Lord  on  top  of 
the  waves  that  so  lately  threatened  to  engulf  you? 
Perhaps  you,  too,  got  your  eyes  on  the  wind  and 
the  waves,  saAv  people  and  conditions  and  circum- 
stances instead  of  Jesus,  and  began  to  sink.  P>ut 
Jesus'  ear  was  open  to  Peter's  cry,  and  is  open  to 
the  cry  of  every  follower.  "Lord,  save  me."  Peter 
cried,  and  immediately  Jesus  put  out  His  hand 
and  caught  him,  chiding  him  for  his  lack  of  faith. 

More  blessed  days  of  growing  and  learning 
passed  and  Peter  is  found  still  following  Jesus. 
He  is  called  blessed  by  the  Lord,  for  recognizing 
the  divinity  of  the  Son  of  God.  We  find  him  re- 
buked in  the  same  chapter  for  trying  to  persuade 
Jesus  from  going  to  suffer  that  shameful  and  igno- 
minious death  upon  the  cross.  Dear  Jesus,  how 
quick  He  has  been  with  Peter  and  with  each  one 
of  us  to  praise  and  encourage  that  which  savoreth 
of  faith  and  sacrifice,  and  to  rebuke  and  chasten 

558 


THE  LIFE  AND  GROWTH  OF  PETER 

that  which  savoreth  of  the  humaii  and  selfishness. 

"And  after  six  days,  Jesus  taketh  Peter  and 
James  and  John  and  brinyeth  them  up  into  an  high 
mountain  apart,  and  was  transfigured  before  them, 
and  His  face  did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  His  raiment 
was  white  as  the  light."  Beloved,  how  about  that 
measuring  rod?  Are  you  measuring  up  so  far  to 
Peter's  experience?  Have  you  been  upon  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration,  and  seen  Jesus  revealed 
and  transfigured  in  His  beauty  and  loveliness  be- 
fore your  amazed  and  adoring  eyes? 

Soon  after  we  find  Peter  receiving  another  lesson 
in  faith,  when  he  was  sent  to  the  sea  to  take  the 
first  fish  he  caught,  and  in  its  mouth  to  find  the 
needed  money  to  pay  the  tribute  or  tax,  for  himself 
and  his  Lord. 

Through  the  many,  but  swiftly  passing  days  of 
Peter's  walk  with  Jesus,  he  grows  in  faith  and 
wisdom,  he  hears  the  preaching  and  sees  the  life 
of  his  Master,  he  sees  miracles  wrought,  sick 
healed,  demons  cast  out,  and  even  sees  the  sick 
healed  and  demons  depart  through  his  own  prayer 
and  faith.  But  now,  with  ever  increasing  empha- 
sis Jesus  informs  and  seeks  to  impress  upon  the 
minds  of  His  little  flock,  that  soon  He  is  to  lay 
down  His  life,  to  be  resurrected  again  and  ascend 
unto  His  Father.  Moreover,  He  tells  them  again 
and  again  that  although  He  departs  He  will  not 
leave  them  comfortless,  but  will  send  another 
Comforter,  even  the  Holy  Ghost  to  lead  them  into 
all  truth,  and  endue  them  with  power  from  on  high. 

Again  we  find  Peter  seated  with  his  Lord  at  the 
last  supper,  declaring  that  though  all  men  should 
be  offended  because  of  Jesus,  yet  would  he  never 
be  offended.  Upon  hearing  the  warning  of  the 
Lord  that  he  would  deny  Him,  we  hear  his  impas- 
sioned denial  : 

"Though  I  should  die  with  Thee,  yet  will  I  not 
deny  Thee"  How  we,  too,  have  promised  the 

559 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Lord  iu  those  precious  hours  of  feasting  and  com- 
munion, that  we  would  never  again  deny  Him  in 
any  way!  Truly  the  Spirit  Avas  willing,  and  the 
flesh  weak. 

Then  Jesus  took  His  disciples,  and  went  forth 
to  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  to  pray  through  the 
great  depression  and  sorrowful  heaviness  He  felt 
pressing  down  upon  Him.  Leaving  the  rest  behind 
with  the  injunction  to  "sit  here  while  I  go  and  pray 
yonder/-  Jesus  took  with  Him  Peter  and  the  two 
sons  of  Zebedee,  and  said  to  them:  "My  soul  is 
exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death:  tarry  ye 
here  and  watch  with  me."  Jesus  went  a  little  fur- 
ther, and  falling  down  upon  His  face,  travailed  in 
prayer.  O,  the  yearning  of  His  soul  to  have  some 
one  to  watch  and  pray  with  Him,  but  coming  to 
His  disciples  and  finding  them  asleep,  He  did  not 
address  the  others,  but  said  unto  Peter:  "\Vhat! 
could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour?"  Again  He 
prayed,  and  upon  returning  a  second  and  a  third 
time,  found  them  sleeping. 

O?  beloved,  have  you,  too,  failed  Jesus  miserably 
on  this  same  line  of  prayer?  Now,  in  this  last 
short  hour  before  the  door  of  mercy  is  forever 
closed,  and  intercessors  are  needed  as  never  before, 
have  we,  too,  been  guilty  of  sleeping  at  our  post? 
Have  we  also  been  overcome  with  the  slothful  ness 
that  has  wrapped  us  in  slumbering  blindness  to 
the  face  of  Jesus  bending  over  us,  beseeching  us  to 
rise  and  pray,  not  only  for  others  but  that  we  our- 
selves enter  riot  into  temptation?  Jesus  knew  that 
Peter  was  going  to  be  specially  tempted  and 
singled  him  out  with  a  command  to  pray.  What 
dismay  it  would  bring  us  to  hear  Him  say : 

"Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest.  The  souls 
you  might  have  prayed  through  to  salvation  are 
lost  forever,  the  brand  you  might  have  plucked 
from  the  burning  is  now  in  hell.  Your  opportun- 
ity for  prayer  and  intercession  is  past.  Sleep  on/' 

560 


THE  LIFE  AND  GROWTH  OF  PETEK 

Peter  sprang  to  his  feet,  wide  awake  now.  His 
Lord  was  grieved,  his  beloved  Lord.  What  could 
he  do  to  show  his  love?  With  zeal  he  smote  off 
the  ear  of  the  high  priest's  servant.  He  would  just 
prove  his  love  and  zeal.  But,  ah !  Peter,  obedience 
is  better  than  sacrifice,,  and  to  hearken  than  the 
fat  of  rams.  The  ear  was  restored  by  Jesus,  and 
the  little  procession  of  captors  and  captive  moved 
on  to  the  judgment  hall.  Jesus  was  taken  inside 
to  be  tried,  but  Peter  remained  outside  and  began 
to  warm  his  hands  by  the  fire.  Ah !  it  is  a  danger- 
ous place  to  go  to  warm  your  hands  by  the  fire  of 
this  world;  and  as  Peter  sat  there  a  damsel  de- 
clared that  Peter  had  been  with  Jesus.  But  Peter 
indignantly  denied  it  before  them  all,  and  was 
ashamed  of  Jesus. 

Peter  moved  off  to  the  porch,  but  could  not  es- 
cape the  notice  of  the  people,  for  if  we  have  been 
with  Jesus  and  walked  with  Him  the  world  will 
know  it.  Another  maid  asked  him  if  he  had  not 
been  with  Jesus,  and  soon  yet  more  standers  by 
asked  him  if  he  were  not  "one  of  them1'.  But 
Peter  began  to  curse  and  swear,  saying,  "I  know 
not  the  man." 

O  Peter,  how  our  hearts  have  ached  for  you  and 
the  shameful  thing  you  did  in  denying  your  Lord ! 
Yet,  dear  ones,  how  many  of  us  have  denied  Him? 
Just  the  time  we  should  have  been  true  and  wit- 
nessed from  the  house  tops  that  He  was  our  Sav- 
iour, how  many  times  we  sat  silent  just  too  long. 
We  must  either  deny  ourselves  or  deny  our  Lord, 
deny  the  flesh  or  deny  the  Spirit.  Surely  some 
thing  was  radically  wrong  with  Peter,  something 
was  missing  that  was  much  needed.  O,  it  was 
surely  the  Holy  Ghost  that  Jesus  said  would  endue 
them  with  power. 

Then  followed  those  agonized  hours  and  days  of 
suffering  for  Peter,  reproach  and  conviction  over 
his  failure,  the  crucifixion  of  his  Lord,  the  burial, 

561 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  days  of  utter  loneliness  and  despair.  His 
Lord  Avas  gone,  the  tender  voice  was  hushed,  the 
face  he  loved  was  still  in  death.  And  there  was  a 
great,  big  empty  void  everywhere  that  none  could 
fill.  Then  out  of  that  black,  vacant  void,  came  the 
swift,  breathless  messenger,  Mary,  with  the  mes- 
sage that  Jesus  was  risen.  Jesus'  first  words  and 
thought  were  of  Peter,  and  now  we  see  him  aris- 
ing, running,  out-stripping  the  others,  stooping 
down  before  the  sepulchre,  looking,  wondering  in 
himself. 

Again  we  find  Peter  fishing,  still  discouraged, 
for  he  knew  not  where  his  Lord  had  gone,  leaping 
from  the  boat  and  rushing  to  the  shore  at  the  first 
glimpse  of  Jesus.  ^Ye  see  him  eating  of  the  bread 
and  fish  upon  the  fire,  hear  him  declaring  his  love 
for  Jesus,  hear  His  commission,  "Feed  My  sheep, 
feed  My  lambs."  Then  came  the  day  of  departure, 
when  Jesus  was  to  leave  for  His  Father's  throne, 
and  we  hear  Him  still  impressing  upon  the  dis- 
ciples the  necessity  of  obeying  His  command  to 
tarry  in  Jerusalem  until  they  were  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  saying:  "You  shall  receive  power 
after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you." 

After  Jesus  had  been  caught  up,  we  find  Peter 
hastening  to  the  upper  room,  tarrying  until  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  poured  out  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost. We  picture  him  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
Acts  2  :4,  speaking  with  other  tongues  as  the  Spirit 
gave  him  utterance,  so  filled  with  the  Spirit  that 
onlookers  thought  him  drunken  with  wine.  Hear 
the  shouts  and  praises  of  the  hundred  and  twenty, 
see  the  multitude  come  running  together,  aston- 
ished, amazed,  in  doubt,  crying,  "What  meaneth 
this?"  O,  it  meant  that  the  Holy  Ghost  had  come. 
that  the  hundred  and  twenty,  and  Peter,  had  been 
endued  with  power  from  on  high,  and  were  now  able 
to  stand  up  and  witness  with  holy  boldness  of 
Jesus  the  crucified.  It  meant  that  out  of  their 

562 


THE  LIFE  AND  GROWTH  OP  PETER 

innermost  being  now  flowed  rivers  of  the  Spirit 
that  none  could  check  nor  gainsay. 

What  meaneth  this?  cried  some.  Others,  mock- 
ing said :  " ' These  are  filled  with  new  wine.  But 
Peter,  standing  up,  said,  f  these  are  not  drunk  with 
wine,  but  this  is  that,  which  was  spoken  by  the 
prophet  Joel'." 

Peter  standing  up!  O,  what  a  change  from  the 
cringing,  cowardly,  denying  Peter!  This  new 
Peter  had  received  the  Holy  Ghost  and  now,  in- 
stead of  fearing  a  little  maid,  he  stood  boldly  be- 
fore this  scoffing,  doubting  multitude  of  Jews,  and 
boldly  preached  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  of  Jesus,  while 
multitudes  turned  to  the  Lord  and  accepted  Him 
as  their  Saviour. 

Are  you  measuring  yourself  by  the  measuring 
rod  as  we  go  on,  dear  ones?  If  you  have  left  all 
to  folloAv  Jesus,  have  you  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
since  you  believed,  with  the  Bible  evidence?  Have 
you  felt  your  lack  of  power  to  testify  and  your 
heart  has  been  dismayed  when  you  denied  Him  oy 
failed  in  prayer,  or  lacked  in  power?  Then  what 
you  need  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  Or  have  you  perhaps 
been  on  the  mountain  top,  and  beheld  Him  trans- 
figured before  you?  Have  you  been  as  Peter,  used 
in  praying  for  the  sick  and  casting  out  demons? 
Have  you  mistaken  these  experiences  for  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost?  Then  measure  up  today; 
compare  your  experience  with  the  Bible  evidence 
of  the  incoming  of  the  Spirit. 

If  you  have  measured  up  so  far  and  have  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost  evidenced  by  the  speaking 
in  tongues,  as  Peter  of  old,  don't  stop  there.  This 
is  just  the  beginning,  the  preparation  for  further 
advancement  and  growth,  for  when  He,  the  Spirit 
of  truth  is  come,  He  will  lead  you  on  into  all  truth. 

Behold  Peter's  life  after  Pentecost,  where  he  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost.  See  him  at  the  beautiful 
gate  saying  to  the  lame  man, 

563 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,  but  such  as  I  hare, 
give  I  thee.  Rise  up  and  walk"  See  the  sick 
being  brought  out  from  all  the  villages  and  towns 
round  about,  as  recorded  in  the  5th  chapter  of 
Acts,  and  when  even  the  shadow  of  Peter  fell 
upon  them  they  were  healed,  every  one. 

Behold  Peter  at  Samaria,  and  at  Caesarea,  lay- 
ing hands  upon  the  believers  in  the  one  instance 
and  while  he  was  yet  preaching,  in  the  other,  they 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  as  had  the  hundred  and 
twenty  in  the  beginning.  Follow  Peter  through 
his  imprisonments,  his  beatings  and  scourgings, 
his  shame  and  reproach.  Follow  him  through  his 
courage  and  faith,  his  love  and  life  of  power. 
Follow  him  to  his  death  on  the  cross,  crucified 
head  downward  because  he  felt  unworthy  to  be 
crucified  as  his  Lord.  O,  dear  ones,  I  fear  that 
e'er  now  the  measuring  rod,  upon  being  applied  to 
our  lives,  will  find  us  all  far  short.  But  God  is  no. 
respecter  of  persons,  and  He  who  took  Peter 
through  from  his  first  eternal  "7  WILL"  at  the 
sea  of  Galilee  to  the  cross  where  he  laid  down  his 
life,  will  take  us  through  if  we  will  follow  Him. 

"Follow  thou  Me."  The  future  all  unknown 
and  trusted  in  His  hands.  Dear  Peters,  weak  in 
yourselves,  He  will  make  you  strong  in  Him.  Fol- 
low Him  to  the  cross,  to  the  grave,  through  the 
resurrection,  to  the  upper  room  and  the  reception 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  on  to  the  gifts  and  fruits  of  the 
Spirit,  perfect  development  and  identification  with 
Him  in  His  death  on  the  cross,  and  on  to  meet 
Him  in  the  air. 

Let  us  then  press  on  and  follow  all  the  way.  Do 
not  stop  short  of  God's  best  and  perfection. 

"Following  Jesus  day  by  day, 
Nothing  can  harm  while  He  leads  the  way, 
Sunshine  or  darkness,  what  e'er  befall, 
Jesus,  my  Saviour,  is  my  all  in  all." 


564 


THE  TEMPLE. 

"Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house." 
—I.  Pet.  2:5. 

Visions  and  Revelations  of  the  Temple — As  Re- 
vealed to  Isaiah — As  Seen  by  John  on  the  Isle  of 
Patmos — The  Structure  a$  Revealed  by  Paul — The 
Temple  as  Described  by  Peter — The  Marvelous 
Mystery  of  the  Transformation  Wrought  in  the 
Stones  from  Quarry  to  Temple — Christ* Seeking 
and  Preparing  the  Stones — Digging,  Separating, 
and  Excavating — "Be  Still  and  Know  That  I  am 
God^ — Hewing  and  Shaping — Then  Comes  the  Pol- 
ishing— The  Refiner's  Fire,  the  Crucible — The  Maj- 
esty and  Grandeur  of  the  Completed  Temple. 

THE  wondrous  Temple — great  and  grand — 
which  has  been  under  construction  for  al- 
most six  thousand  years,  is  now  rapidly  tak- 
ing shape  and  nearing  perfected  completion. 

Of  such  vast  proportions  is  this  temple  that 
there  can  be  no  end  of  the  universe  where  God  is 
to  which  this  great  temple  does  not  reach. 

Of  such  grandeur  is  it — this  temple  (with  God 
for  its  Architect,  Christ  for  its  High  Priest — made 
up  of  living  stones  composed  of  blood- Avashed  souls 
— its  domes  and  arches  of  divine  love  and  adora- 
tion— with  saints  and  teachers  for  its  pillars,  and 
worshippers  for  its  pavement)  that  it  hath  need  of 
neither  the  sun  nor  the  moon  to  shine  in  it,  for 
the  glory  of  God  doth  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is 
the  light  thereof. 

So  firm  and  indestructible,  so  infinitely  precious, 
so  thoroughly  tested  by  fire  and  by  flood,  by  hammer 
and  chisel,  is  each  stone  that  is  built  into  the 
great  structure,  that  deterioration  and  decay  will 

565 


THIS  IS  THAT 

forever  be  unknown  within  its  walls,  and  it  will 
abide — the  temple  of  the  great  God — forever  and 
forever. 

Here  it  is  that  they  which  are  arrayed  in  white 
robes — they  which  have  come  up  out  of  great  trib- 
ulation, having  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  stand  before  the 
throne  of  God,  and  "serve  Him  day  and  night  in 
His  temple:  and  He  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne 
dwelleth  among  them."  Here  it  is  that  His  people 
know  neither  hunger  nor  thirst,  neither  does  the 
sun  light  upon  them  nor  any  heat,  "for  the  Lamb, 
which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,"  doth  feed 
them,  and  "leadeth  them  unto  living  fountains  of 
waters/'  and  here  it  is  that  God  wipeth  away  all 
tears  from  their  eyes.  Rev.  7 :13-17. 

VISIONS  AND  REVELATIONS  OF  THE  TEMPLE. 

We  lift  our  eyes  in  the  Spirit  and  are  transfixed 
with  wonder  as  we  behold  the  grandeur  of  the 
great  completed  structure  rising  before  us  with  its 
belfries  and  turrets,  its  gold-crowned  towers  and 
domes  gleaming  through  the  thick  mist  of  our  mor- 
tal conception  of  the  great  plan  of  the  Eternal 
God. 

Our  hearts  are  caught  up  on  the  wings  of  heav- 
enly rapture,  as  we  catch  the  great,  swelling  waves 
of  melody  bursting  forth  from  a  thousand  windows 
as  the  singers  and  players  become  as  one,  making 
one  sound  to  be  heard,  praising  and  glorifying 
God,  and  the  glory  of  God  so  fills  the  temple  that 
the  priests  and  the  Lord's  ministers  cannot 
minister. 

Isaiah  catches  us  up  and  carries  us  to  the  very 

temple,  when  he  declares:     "I  saw  also  the  Lord 

sitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted 

AS  REVEALED     up,  and  His  train  filled  the  temple. 

TO  ISAIAH       Above  it  stood  the  seraphims — and 

one  cried  unto  another:    'Holy,  holy, 

566 


THE  TEMPLE 

holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts;  the  whole  earth  is  filled 
with  His  glory/  And  the  posts  of  the  door  moved 
at  the  voice  of  him  that  cried,,  and  the  house  was 
filled  with  smoke."  Isa.  6  :l-4. 

John,   on   the  isle   of   Patmos,   brings   us   right 

into  the  midst  of  the  thunderous  praises  and  the 

grandeur  and  the  glory  of  God 

AS  SEEN  BY          within    the    temple,     when     the 

JOHN  ON  PATMOS     Lord  God  Almighty  taketh  unto 

Himself    His    great    power    and 

doth  reign.     He  tells  us  that :  "The  temple  of  God 

was  opened  in  Heaven,  and  there  was  seen  in  His 

temple  the  ark  of  His  testament:  and  there  were 

lightnings,  and  voices,   and  thunder  ings,   and   an 

earthquake,  and  great  hail."    Rev.  11 :19. 

Paul  brings  us  right  up  to  a  literal  and  tangible 

examination  of  the  structure  and  the  foundation 

itself,  and  our  own  part  in  the 

THE  STRUCTURE  AS     building,  by  the  words :  "Know 

REVEALED  BY  PAUL     ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple 

of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of 

God  divelleth  in  you?"    I.  Cor.  3  :16. 

Why,  'tis  as  though  the  great  temple  were  com- 
prised of  myriads  of  smaller  temples,  for  "to  what- 
ever worlds  He  carries  our  souls  when  they  shall 
pass  out  of  these  imprisoning  bodies,  in  these 
worlds  these  souls  of  ours  (if  we  have  submitted 
ourselves  to  His  dealings)  shall  find  themselves 
part  of  the  same  great  temple,  for  it  belongeth  not 
to  this  world  alone"  but  shall  stand  through  the 
ages  of  eternity. 

Peter  walks  round  the  temple  with  us  and  points 

out  to  those  who  "have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is 

gracious" — that  our  Lord  is  Himself 

AS  DESCRIBED     the    chief    cornerstone,    elect,    pre- 

BY  PETER        cious,  disallowed  indeed  of  men,  but 

chosen  of  God.  Then,  suddenly,  Peter 

points  his  finger  at  each  saint  individually,   and 

says:     "Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a 

567 


THIS  IS  THAT 

spiritual  house,  an  holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up 
spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ/'  and  "ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal 
priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,  that 
ye  should  shew  forth  the  praises  of  Him  who  hath 
called  you  out  of  darkness  into  His  marvelous 
light,"  I.  Pet.  2  :3,  5,  9. 

THE  MARVELOUS  MYSTERY  OF  THE  TRANSFORMATION 
WROUGHT  IN  THE  STONE  FROM  QUARRY  TO  TEMPLE. 

Lively  stones,  living  stones,  chosen,  peculiar 
stones,  stones  called  from  the  depths  of  the  dark 
quarries  of  sin  and  despair  into  the  marvelous  light 
of  the  Lamb  which  doth  lighten  the  temple- 
Stones  once  all  unshapen  and  rough,  and  un- 
lovely, now  perfect  in  shape  and  size,  with  smooth 
corners  and  mirror-like,  polished  surfaces — 

Once  piled  in  confusion,  one  upon  another, 
disrupted,  without  unit}',  or  promise  of  ever  fitting 
together  in  any  semblance  of  a  building, 

Now,  chiselled,  shaped  and  fashioned  under  the 
skilled  hands  of  the  mighty  Master- workman,  until 
each  perfect,  polished  stone  slips  noiselessly  into 
place  beside  its  neighbor,  there  to  remain  forever, 
held  fast  by  the  cement  of  unchanging,  heaven- 
born  love. 

What  a  transformation  is  bespoken  in  every 
stone!  What  patience,  what  love,  what  skill  of 
Master- workmanship,  what  dicing-  and  blasting, 
what  lifting  and  carrying-,  what  chiselling  and 
polishing,  what  beauty  and  praise!  Is  it  any  won- 
der the  stone  cries  aloud  and  says:  "What  I  am, 
I  am  by  the  grace  of  God"? 

"How  marvelous!"  we  exclaim,  "is  the  bound- 
less love  of  God.  How  unfathomable  is  the  great, 
immeasurable  grace  and  mercy  that  has  called 
each  one  of  us  (no  matter  how  deeply  buried  in 
the  dark  quarries  of  sin),  to  fill  our  place  in  the 
great  and  glorious  temple  which  is  being  built 

568 


THE  TEMPLE 

without  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens."  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  tears  of  gratitude  and  unworthiness 
fill  our  eyes  when  we  remember  that  He  does  not 
ask  us  to  help  ourselves,  does  not  ask  us  to  do  any 
of  the  blasting  or  lifting,  or  hammering,  or  chisel- 
ling, or  polishing  or  building  of  the  temple.  One 
thing,  and  one  alone  He  asks: 

"Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God.  Be  pliable, 
be  yielded  and  submissive  in  My  hands."  Accept 
all  things  (every  bJow  of  the  hammer,  every  gouge 
of  the  chisel)  as  working  together  for  good  to  them 
that  lore  the  Lord  and  are  called  according  to  His 
purpose. 

SEEKING    AND    PREPARING    STONES    FQR    THE    TEMPLE. 

His  eye  runneth  to  and  fro  through  the  whole 
earth :  "He  discovereth  deep  things  out  of  dark- 
ness, and  bringeth  out — to  light  the  shadow  of 
death,"  as  He  searches  for  material  with  which  to 
build  His  temple.  No  depths  are  too  deep  for  Him 
to  descend  into,  no  trouble  or  labor  too  intricate  OP 
great  for  Him  to  undertake,  if  only  the  object  of 
His  love — be  it  gold,  silver  or  precious  stone — be 
willing  and  submissive  under  the  dealings  of  His 
hands.  His  voice  can  be  heard  as  He  walks 
through  the  earth,  searching  material  for  His 
temple,  saying: 

"Surely  there  is  a  vein  for  the  silver,  and  a  place 
for  gold  ivhere  they  find  it.  He  setteth  an  end  to 
darkness,  and  searcheth  out  all  perfection:  the 
stones  of  darkness,  and  the  shadou*  of  death.  .  .  . 
As  for  the  earth,  out  of  it  cometh  bread ;  and  under 
it  is  turned  up  as  it  ircrc  fire.  .  .  .  Tlic  stones 
of  it  are  the  place  of  sapphires;  and  it  hath  dust 
of  gold.  .  .  .  He  putteth  forth  His  hand  upon 
the  rock;  He  overt-it  meth  the  mountains  by  the 
roots.  He  cutteth  out  rivers  among  the  rocks;  and 
His  eye  seeth  every  precious  thing.  .  .  .  He 
bindeth  the  floods  from  overflowing ;  and  the  thing 
that  is  hid  bringeth  He  forth  to  light.  Job  28 :1-11. 

569 


THIS  IS  THAT 

The  great,  rough,  unlovely  stones,  hard-hearted 
as  granite,  lying  in  the  bottom  of  the  quarry, 
buried  deep  beneath  the  earth  and  mire  of  sin  and 
self,  have  but  to  express  the  desire  and  willingness 
to  be  digged  for  and  removed  and  shaped  into  His 
likeness,  and  the  Lord  is  at  the  place,  ready  to  be- 
gin the  Avork  of  excavation.  No  stone  is  too  far 
distant,  too  unworthy,  too  insignificant,  too  un- 
promising, too  great  or  too  small  for  Him  to  see 
the  longing  to  be  made  worthy  for  a  place  in  His 
temple. 

From  the  moment  the  stone  cries  to  Him,  and 

the  Lord  thrusts  the  spade  of  conviction  into  the 

earth  of  sin  which  covers  the  stone, 

DIGGING,,  He  presses  it  ever  deeper  and  deeper 
SEPARATING,  with  the  strong  foot  of  His  Word. 
EXCAVATING  till  the  stone  lies  clean  and  bare  be- 
fore Him. 

The  stone  is  entirely  too  large  and  too  attached 
to  its  surroundings  and  environment,  however, 
and  in  order  to  dislodge  and  detach  it,  great  quan- 
tities of  explosives  oft  have  to  be  imbedded  in  the 
midst  of  our  heretofore  comfortable  surroundings. 
Blast  may  follow  blast.  Huge  cracks  and  splits 
may  run  out  in  every  direction.  The  trials  may  be 
hard,  the  separation  keen  and  vitally  near  our 
heart.  We  may  not  understand,  friends  may  criti- 
cise, misjudge,  or  offer  advice,  but  one  thing  only 
is  required  of  us  by  the  Lord : 

"BE  STILL  AND   KNOW  THAT   I  AM   GOD." 

He  will  do  all  the  blasting,  all  the  separating. 
Our  part  is  but  to  be  willing  and  pliable  and  yield- 
ed— submissive  to  His  will. 

The  stone  need  not  worry  itself  with  planning 
and  foreseeing,  but  needs  only  to  give  itself  up  to 
God's  Holy  Spirit  within,  and  His  dealings  and 
providence  without.  Once  thoroughly  separated 
from  surroundings,  no  matter  how  unshapely  and 
rugged  we  be,  one  has  but  to  look  upward  to  see 

570 


THE  TEMPLE 

that  the  great  Master-builder  has  brought  the  huge 
derrick  of  His  love  and  power  to  the  place,  has 
fitted  the  cords  of  grace  and  mercy  about  the 
boulder  or  rock,  and  is  lifting  it  from  the  depths  of 
darkness  into  His  own  marvelous  light. 

Then  the  shaping  process — Oh,  those  great,  jag- 
ged, rough,  sharp  corners  that  gash  the  feet  and 
wound  each  passer-by — one  by  one 
HEWING  AND     they    disappear    beneath    the    daily, 

SHAPING  hourly,  ring,  ring  of  the  hammer  of 
love  as  it  falls  with  steady  blows 
upon  the  chisel  of  daily  tests  and  circumstances. 
That  unkind  word,  the  undeserved  reproach,  that 
unmerited  rebuke,  the  hasty  tear,  that  hour  you 
fled  to  your  room  and  fell,  face-downward,  at  His 
feet  in  seeming  defeat,  the  opportunity  for  doing 
good,  the  call  for  sacrifice,  unapplauded,  unob- 
served— all  these  were  but  hammer  and  chisel 
blows  that  made  rough  corners  disappear. 

Oh,  to  see  the  will  of  God  wrought  out  in  blows 
and  buffetings,  in  tears  and  smiles,  and  in  encour- 
agements and  discouragements,  in  wilderness 
wastes  and  Eden's  bloom,  in  fire  and  water,  in 
heat  and  cold,  on  mountain  top  and  in  valley 
depths,  in  lion's  den  or  plains  of  freedom,  in 
battle  front  or  isolated  dungeon  !  Oh,  but  to  recog- 
nize His  hand  in  the  dealings  of  .today,  is  sweetest 
balm  of  Gilead. 

Hardness  and  self-centered  aims  disappear — 
mellow  tenderness,  solicituousness  and  brotherly 
love  take  their  place  as  we  weep  with  those  that 
weep  and  rejoice  with  those  that  do  rejoice. 

Then  comes  the  polishing,  the  pressure  brought 
to  bear,  the  continuous  rubbing  and  friction,  the 
eternal  passing  to  and  fro  of  the  same 
POLISHING     trials     and     circumstances,     of    daily 
grind  and  routine.    Each  day  of  yield- 
ing hastens  the  work  of  shaping  and  polishing. 
Each  day  of  murmuring  and  repining  hinders  and 

-571 


THIS  IS  THAT 

stays  the  hand,  mars  the  work  and  inflicts  deep 
scars  and  scratches  that  only  time  and  labor  can 
efface. 

In  the  quarry,  in  the  blasting  and  in  the  chisel- 
ing process,  there  is  much  noise  and  action,  but 
when  at  last  the  stone  is  carried  to  the  spot  and 
slipped  into  its  appointed  place  in  the  great  temple, 
there  Avill  not  be  the  sound  of  a  hammer  to  be 
heard  (that  will  all  have  been  gone  through  be- 
fore)— "Work  on  in  me,  Oh,  Lord,  let  not  Thy 
hand  be  stayed." 

From  beginning  to  end  it  is  God.  From  the 
quarry  of  sin  to  the  beauty  of  the  temple  it  is  God, 
GOD,  G-O-D.  We  can  do  nothing  to  help  but  to 
yield,  submissive  and  passive  to  His  dealings,  as 
wrought  out  hourly,  daily  in  the  circumstances 
writh  which  He  surrounds  our  lives. 

The  gold  and  the  silver  which  adorn  His  temple 

must  be  refined  in  the  crucible  until  all  dross  is 

melted  aAvay.    Only  that  which  can 

THE  REFINER'S     stand  in  the  fire  and  not  be  burned 

FIRE,  AND         can    abide   in    His   tabernacle,    for 

CRUCIBLE         "Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire,"  and 

no  Avood,  hay  nor  stubble  can  dwell 

in  His  presence,  for  Avhen  the  Lord  whom  we  seek 

suddenly  comes  to  His  temple  we  find  that  "He  is 

like  a  refiner's  fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap"  that  He 

purges  us  as  gold  and  silver  that  we  "may  offer 

unto  the  Lord  an  offcriny  in  righteousness."    Mai. 

3  :l-3. 

Each  stone  must  be  set  and  fitted  into  place  by 
God — man's  efforts  on  this  line  have  ever  been  but 
a  failure.  Each  pillar  and  support,  each  decora- 
tion, overlaid  with  gold  and  silver,  each  golden 
tower  and  dome,  encrusted  with  precious  stones — 
each  gold-embroidered  hanging — each  section  of 
the  building  from  threshold  to  the  throne,  must 
be  set  into  its  place  by  the  God  who  has  fitted  it 
for  its  particular  place. 

572 


THE  TEMPLE 

Today  the  building  is  well-nigh  completion 
Softly  and  quickly,  yet  firmly  and  with  utmost 
precision  and  perfection  the  last  finishing  touches 
are  being  added  to  the  temple,  the  last  sections 
are  being  slipped  into  place.  Holy  calling — You 
are  called  to  fill  your  place  in  the  temple.  .  Are 
you  letting  Him  work  His  Avill  in  your  life,  that 
great  or  small,  you  may  perfectly  fill  and  adorn 
the  little  space  He  has  selected  for  you? 

MAJESTY  AND  GRANDEUR  OF  COMPLETED  TEMPLE. 

No  matter  where  He  shall  place  us  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord  (wherein  we  are  to  dwell  forever- 
more),  we  will  be  able  to  inquire  in  His  temple; 
and  behold  the  Ancient  of  Days  in  His  beauty,  as 
He  shall  sit  upon  His  throne,  whose  garment  is 
white  as  snow,  and  whose  hair  is  like  the  pure 
wool,,  whose  throne  is  like  the  fiery  flame  and  His 
wheels  as  burning  fire,  to  see  the  fiery  stream  that 
issues  forth  before  Him,  to  see  the  thousand  thou- 
sands who  minister  unto  Him  and  the  ten  thou- 
sand who  stand  before  Him  (Dan.  7:9,  10.)  to 
hear  the  thunders  of  His  praises,  see  the  light- 
nings of  His  power,  and  to  hear  His  voice,  sweet 
as  the  rushing  of  many  waters — surely  one  such 
moment  is  worth  a  millionfold  more  blasting  and 
chiselling  and  polishing.  So  deal  on,  O  Lord, 
deal  on. 


573 


GETTING  DOWN. 

"For  thus  saith  the  High  and  Lofty  One  that  inhabiteth 
eternity,  whose  name  is  Holy,  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy 
place,  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble  spirit; 
to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  revive  the  heart  of 
the  contrite  ones." — Isa.  57:15. 

SO  much  has  been  said  through  the  Spirit  these 
last   days   about   the   necessity   of   "getting 
down"    before    the    Lord    in    humility    and 
adoration,  that  it  is  well  for  us  to  find  out  "what 
saith  the  Scriptures?"  on  the  subject. 

ZACCHAEUS   CAME   DOWN. 

There  are  many  different  ways  of  getting  down 
recorded  in  the  Word;  there  was  Zacchaeus,  you 
remember,  who  ran  and  climbed  up  into  a  syca- 
more tree,  and  Avhen  Jesus  came  to  the  place  He 
looked  up  and  saw  him,  and  said  unto  him : 

"Zacchaeus,  make  haste  and  come  down;  for  to- 
day I  must  abide  at  thy  house.  And  he  made  haste, 
and  came  down;  and  received  Him  joyfully." 

There  are  many  today  who,  like  Zacchaeus  of  old, 
just  literally  have  to  come  down — down  from  their 
preconceived  ideas  and  notions  of  themselves; 
down  from  their  exalted  opinion  of  their  own 
righteousness;  down  from  old  forms  and  cere- 
monies, to  humble  themselves  under  the  mighty 
hand  of  God.  Jesus  walked  so  humbly  that  those 
who  walk  with  Him  must  get  down.  Zacchaeus 
had  put  himself  higher  than  Jesus  Himself,  for 
we  read  that  when  Jesus  came  to  the  place  He 
looked  up.  Truly  He  is  still  looking  up  today,  and 
crying : 

"Make  haste  and  come  down;  for  today  I  must 

574 


GETTING  DOWN 

abide  at  thy  house."  Make  haste  and  come  down 
and  receive  Him  today  joyfully;  He  is  waiting  to 
bless  thee.  Get  down  !  Get  down  ! !  Get  down  ! ! ! 

THE  LEPER   KNEELED   DOWN. 

Then  we  remember  the  leper  whom  Jesus  healed, 
and  we  read,  with  an  understanding  and  sympa- 
thetic tug  at  our  hearts,  how  he  kneeled  down. 
How  well  we  remember  the  day  Avhen  we  came  to 
Jesus,  full  of  uncleanness,  filled  with  the  leprosy 
of  sin,  and  how  as  we  kneeled  down  at  His  feet, 
our  sin  was  cleansed  away  and  we  were  made 
whole.  First  of  all,  dear  ones,  you  must  come 
down  from  your  own  righteousness,  which  is  as 
"filthy  rags,"  and  secondly  you  must  kneel  down 
at  His  feet,  humbly  crying: 

"Be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner,"  and  He  will  wash 
your  sins  away,  and  so  fill  you  with  joy  that  the 
tears  of  love  and  gratitude  will  stream  down  your 
face,  and  your  heart  will  pulsate  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  you  are  His  child,  and  passed  from  dark- 
ness into  His  own  clear  light.  "Old  things  will 
have  passed  away,  and  all  things  become  new,"  a 
new  world,  a  newr  life,  a  new  light,  the  Son  of 
Righteousness. 

PETER   FELL   DOWN. 

Then  there  was  Peter.  Have  you  ever  ascended 
to  the  top  of  the  mountain  of  Transfiguration  and 
beheld  Jesus  so  clearly  revealed  to  your  enrap- 
tured vision  that  you,  like  Peter  of  old,  have  fallen 
prostrate  at  His  feet?  John  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos, 
writes : 

"7,  John,  fell  at  His  feet  as  one  dead."  So  did 
Ezeldel,  and  many  others  that  walked  with  Jesus 
in  the  days  of  old.  These  frail  bodies  of  ours 
are  no  stronger  than  were  those  of  the  prophets  of 
those  days;  and  when  we  come  in  direct  contact 
with  Jesus  or  His  mighty  power,  we,  like  them, 
fall  down  and  proclaim  Him  King  and  Lord  of 

575 


THIS  IS  THAT 

all.  O,  it  is  when  we  fall  down  helplessly  at  His 
feet  that  we  see  our  own  helpless  condition,  and 
our  utter  insufficiency  and  dependence  upon  Him. 
Then  He  takes  us  by  the  hand  and  lifts  us  up. 
But  He  says : 

"I  will  resist  the  proud  and  the  haughty,  but  be 
(/radons  to  the  humble."    Humble  thyself  to  walk 
with  God.    O,  never  be  ashamed  to  fall  at  His  pre- 
cious feet,  for  around  the  throne  myriads  of  angels 
fall  before  Him,  and  the  twenty  Elders  are  crying: 
"Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty." 
Then   we  come  to  Mary,  the  sister  of  Martha. 
We  are  told  that— 

MARY  SAT  DOWN. 

O!  the  clear  vision  of  sweet  communion  that 
is  opened  up  by  these  simple  Avords:  "Mary  sat 
doicn." 

"Sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 

0  what  words  I  hear  Him  say. 
Happy  place;   so  near,   so  precious! 

May  it  find  me  there  each  day ; 

"Sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 

1  Avould  look  upon  the  past; 
For  His  love  has  been  so  gracious. 

It  has  Avon  my  heart  at  last." 

It  is  there,  Avhile  busy  Marthas  are  hurrying  all 
about  us — Marthas  who  seldom  find  time  to  pray 
or  read  the  Word,  Marthas  \vho  have  floors  to 
sweep  and  dishes  to  Avash — that  Ave  steal  away,  like 
Mary  of  old,  and,  closeted  Avith  Him,  take  time  to 
"sit  down"  and  learn  of  Him.  HOAV  He  talks  to  us 
and  communes  with  our  souls.  HOAV  He  brings 
forth  the  treasures  of  the  golden  divinity  of  His 
nature,  fills  us  Avith  the  frankincense  of  praise, 
and  entrusts  us  with  the  felloAvship  of  His  suffer- 
ings, and  reveals  the  power  of  His  resurrection  to 
us.  It  is  to  those  who  find  time  to  sit  at  His  feet, 

576 


GETTING  DOWN 

like  Mary  of  old,  that  He  reveals  His  perfect  will. 
Beloved,  take  time  to  sit  at  Jesus'  feet. 

Then,  coining  to  our  precious  Lord,  we  remember 
that— 

JESUS   LAID   DOWN 

His  life  for  the  brethren,  and  seek  to  echo  His 
word :  "Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that 
lie  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends." 

(),  beloved,  He  is  calling  a  people  this  day  who 
will  get  down  before  Him.  Down !  down !  down ! 
has  been  my  cry  since  mine  eyes  have  beheld  the 
King. 

O  that  it  might  be  no  more  I,  but  Christ  that 
liveth  in  me — for  *'*'/  must  decrease  and  He  must 
increase — "Down,  down  till  we  follow  Him  all 
the  way  to  the  cross,  and  lay  down  our  lives 
gladly  at  His  feet — for  'He  tluit  exalteth  himself 
shall  he  abased,  and  he  that  humbleth  himself 
shall  be  exalted'."  We  shall  be  exalted  even  up  to 
His  right  hand  upon  the  throne,  lifted  from  the 
depth  of  the  mire  to  the  glory  of  the  cross  of 
Jesus  Christ,  washed  in  the  blood,  furnished  with 
the  white  robes  of  the  wedding  garment,  and  filled 
with  His  Spirit.  We  are  lifted  up  to  heavenly 
places  to  talk  and  walk  Avith  Him  forever  and 
forever. 


577 


COVET  EARNESTLY  SPIRITUAL  GIFTS- 

JUST  as  God  the  Father  gave  Jesus,  His  only 
begotten  Son,  as  His  love  gift  to  the  sinner, 
and  as  Jesus  gave  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a  gift  to 
the  believer,  so  in  turn,  the  Holy  Ghost  has  gifts 
to  bestow  upon  those  who  receive  Him  and  yield 
themselves  to  His  control. 

Many  baptized  believers  have  made  the  grave 
mistake  of  believing  that  when  they  had  received 
God's  gift,  Jesus  as  their  Saviour  and  had  re- 
ceived the  Holy  Ghost,  His  gift  to  the  believer, 
that  they  had  received  all  there  was  for  them. 
They  lost  sight  of  the  fact  entirely  that  the  Spirit 
had  gifts  and  fruits  to  bestow  upon  all  those  who 
covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts. 

After  being  made  recipients  of  full  salvation,  and 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  they  settled  down 
in  contentment,  with  folded  hands,  forgetting  that 
the  incoming  of  the  Spirit  to  lead  us  into  all  truth 
is  just  the  beginning,  just  the  entrance  to  the  land 
of  Canaan.  The  Red  Sea  has  been  left  far  behind, 
the  desert  has  been  safely  crossed,  the  gates  of 
Canaan's  land  have  been  entered,  but  now  if  hav- 
ing gone  thus  far  we  sit  doAvn  just  inside  the 
gates,  will  we  not  miss  the  grapes  and  pomegran- 
ates? Will  we  not  miss  the  land  that  flows  with 
milk  and  honey? 

When  He  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  come,  He  will 
lead  you  into  all  truth.  Now  the  incoming  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  just  the  coming  of  the  leader,  who 
can  only  lead  us  on,  and  bestow  His  gifts  upon  us 
as  we  submit  ourselves  to  His  leading  and  press 
forward.  Just  as  the  Father  longed  to  give  us 
Jesus,  and  Jesus  longed  to  bestow  upon  us  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  so  now  the  Holy  Spirit  longs 
to  bestow  His  gifts  upon  the  baptized  believer. 

578 


COVET  EARNESTLY  SPIRITUAL  GIFTS 

There  are  nine  gifts  of  the  Spirit  spoken  of  in 
the  12th  chapter  of  I.  Cor.  which  reads : 

"Now  concerning  spiritual  gifts  brethren,  I 
would  not  have  yon  ignorant.  For  to  one  is  given 
by  the  Spirit  the 

Word  of  Wisdom — to  another 

Knowledge  by  the  same  Spirit — to  another 

Faith — to  another 

Gifts  of  Healing — to  another 

Working  of  Miracles;  to  another 

Prophecy — to  another 

Discerning  of  Spirits — to  another 

Divers  Kinds  of  Tongues — to  another 

Interpretation  of  Tongues; 

"But  all  these  workcth  that  one  and  the  self- 
same Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  He 
will:' 

Surely  it  is  God's  plan  that  each  of  these  gifts 
should  be  manifested  in  each  assembly,  and  we  are 
told  to  covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts,  and  to  seek 
that  we  may  excel  to  the  edifying  of  the  church. 
To  one  is  given 

THE  WORD  OF  WISDOM. 

If  ever  there  was  a  time  that  the  church  needed 
wisdom,  it  is  now.  It  is  not  our  own  wisdom  or 
understanding  that  we  need  but  the  wisdom  that 
cometh  down  from  above.  "Wisdom  is  the  prin- 
cipal thing/'  says  Solomon,  "therefore  get  wisdom." 
He  also  tells  us  to  cease  from  our  own  wisdom. 
The  wisdom  of  man  is  foolishness  to  God,  there- 
fore if  any  man  lack  wisdom  let  him  ask  of  God 
who  giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraid eth  not 
and  it  shall  be  given  him. 

The  Holy  Spirit  has  a  real  literal  gift  of  wisdom, 
for  those  who  seek.  Wisdom  to  speak  or  not  to 
speak,  wisdom  to  give  or  to  withhold,  wisdom  to 
understand  God's  word,  and  to  understand  His 
leadings,  wisdom  to  discern  between  the  flesh  and 
the  Spirit,  wisdom  to  look  above  earthly  things 

579 


THIS  IS  THAT 

and  circumstances  and  see  no  man  save  Jesus  only, 
and  wisdom  to  use  the  gifts  the  Spirit  has  given 
us.  To  another  is  given 

THE  WORD  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 

Just  as  the  reins  of  a  spirited  horse  are  held  in 
the  hands  of  a  competent  driver,  so  is  wisdom  to 
knowledge,  for  many  have  knowledge  without 
wisdom.  Hosea  4  :6  says,  "My  people  are  destroyed 
for  lack  of  knowledge."  Zeal  without  knowledge 
is  a  hindrance  instead  of  a  help.  Each  child  of 
God  should  cry  to  the  Lord  for  the  work  of  knowl- 
edge to  be  buried  deep  in  his  or  her  heart.  Knowl- 
edge  to  know  God,  whom  to  know  is  life  eternal, 
knowledge  to  understand  and  rightly  divide  the 
Word  of  truth,  is  needed  today  as  never  before. 
Paul  cried  aloud  from  the  depths  of  his  being  for 
knowledge,  saying:  "O  that  I  may  know  Him 
and  the  power  of  His  resurrection,  and  the  fellow- 
ship of  His  sufferings,  being  made  conformable 
unto  His  death." 

There  is  a  real  gift  of  knowledge,  which  is  not 
gained  from  earthly  sources  but  which  is  taught 
us  from  God,  for  all  who  covet  earnestly  to  know 
Him,  and  His  word.  There  is  a  God-taught  knowl- 
edge that  will  cause  us  to  study  to  show  ourselves 
approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that  need  not  be 
ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth. 

In  the  garden  of  Eden  in  the  midst  of  life  God 
gave  a  commandment,  forbidding  man  to  eat  of 
the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  but  now 
we  are  in  the  midst  of  death  and  God  commands 
us  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  which  is  Christ, 
in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
knowledge.  To  another  is  given 

FAITH. 

Without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God. 
Faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  the  evi- 
dence of  things  not  seen.  It  is  one  thing  to  have 

580 


COVET  EARNESTLY   SPIRITUAL  GIFTS 

faith  in  God,  and  another  thing  to  have  the  gift  of 
faith  that  can  move  mountains  small  or  great. 
Faith  believes  God,  takes  Him  absolutely  at  His 
word,  and  through  faith  sees  the  promises  of  God 
materialize  and  that  for  which  it  prays  brought  to 
pass.  Faith  believes  and  can  appropriate  the 
promises  of  God  today  as  in  the  days  of  old. 

Faith  prays  the  prayer  of  faith,  and  sick  are 
healed,  miracles  wrought,  and  indeed  it  is  impos- 
sible to  receive  any  of  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit  with- 
out faith.  Faith  comes  by  hearing,  and  hearing 
by  the  Word  of  God.  He  that  believeth  shall  be, 
saved,  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. 
Jesus  says,  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  be- 
lieve, in  my  name  they  shall  cast  out  demons,  they 
shall  speak  writh  new  tongues  .  .  .  they  shall 
lay  hands  on  the  sick  and  they  shall  recover,  etc. 

O  beloved,  if  the  children  of  the  Lord  would 
ask  for  Faith  as  earnestly  as  they  sought  salva- 
tion, and  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  sought 
by  hearing  and  believing  the  Word  of  God,  signs 
and  wonders  would  be  worked  in  our  midst,  and 
the  arm  of  Jehovah  laid  bare,  and  His  glory  break 
forth  in  a  way  that  Avould  be  exceeding  and  abun- 
dant, above  all  we  could  ask  or  think.  To  another 
is  given  the 

GIFTS  OF   HEALING. 

Still  today  as  in  the  days  of  old  the  gift  of  heal- 
ing is  bestowed  and  operated  through  yielded  ves- 
sels by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jas.  5  says,  the  prayer 
of  faith  shall  save  the  sick,  but  there  is  also  the 
gift  of  healing  that  says :  "In  the  name  of  Jesus, 
rise  up  and  walk."  This  gift  of  healing  was  mani- 
fested through  Peter  Avhen  in  the  5th  chapter  of 
Acts  a  multitude  of  sick  folks  were  brought  from 
the  towns  and  villages  round  about,  and  laid  in  the 
streets  on  beds  and  couches,  that  even  the  shadoAV 
of  Peter  overshadowing  them  they  should  be  healed, 
and  they  were  healed  every  one. 

581 


THIS  IS  THAT 

This  same  gift  of  healing  is  manifested  today, 
cancers,  tumors,  tuberculosis,  all  manner  of  sick- 
ness has  been  healed  instantaneously  in  answer  to 
prayer  right  in  our  meetings,  and  we  give  Him  all 
the  glory.  For  it  is  Jesus  who  heals.  This  gift  of 
healing  should  be  in  every  assembly,  that  the  name 
of  the  Lord  should  be  glorified.  To  another  is 
given  the 

WORKING  OF  MIRACLES. 

Miracles  that  keep  oil  in  the  cruse  and  meal  in 
the  barrel  are  still  witnessed  in  the  lives  of  those 
who  live  the  life  of  faith.  We  see  broken  bones 
instantaneously  and  miraculously  set  and  healed 
in  answer  to  prayer,  and  why  not — for  Jesus  is 
the  same  yesterday,  today  and  forever.  To  another 
is  given  the  gift  of 

PROPHECY. 

In  Joel  2  :28  God  says :  "It  shall  come  to  pass 
in  the  last  days,  that  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit  up- 
on all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters 
shall  prophesy."  I.  Cor.  14:39  Paul  tells  us  to 
COVET  TO  PROPHESY.  He  tells  us  to  desire 
spiritual  gifts  but  rather  that  we  may  prophesy, 
for  lie  that  prophesieth  speaketh  unto  men  to  edi- 
fication, exhortation  and  comfort. 

In  speaking  to  the  Corinthian  church,  which  had 
received  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  accom- 
panied with  the  Bible  evidence  of  speaking  in  other 
tongues,  he  urges  them  not  to  stop  there  but  to  go 
on  and  covet  to  prophesy,  saying:  "Greater  is  he 
that  prophesieth  than  he  that  speaketh  with 
tongues,  except  he  interpret,  that  the  church  may 
receive  edifying."  Therefore  the  prophet  and  the 
interpreter  are  placed  on  the  same  level. 

In  prophecy  the  Spirit  takes  control  of  the  vocal 
organs,  just  the  same  as  when  speaking  in  tongues, 
except  that  in  prophecy  the  words  come  out  in 
English.  Out  of  your  innermost  being  shall  flow 
rivers  of  living  water,  not  out  of  your  head,  but 

582 


COVET  EARNESTLY  SPIRITUAL  GIFTS 

out  of  your  innermost  being.  This  gift  is  being  re- 
stored to  the  church,  and  in  these  days  the  sons 
and  daughters  prophesy  under  the  power  and  in- 
spiration of  the  Spirit  as  in  the  days  of  old.  To 
another  is  given 

DISCERNING   OF   SPIRITS. 

There  was  never  a  time  in  the  history  of  the 
church  that  the  gift  of  discernment  was  needed  as 
it  is  today.  And  bless  the  Lord,  the  Spirit  still 
bestows  this  gift  upon  yielded,  seeking  hearts,  and 
gives  power  to  discern  between  the  flesh  and  the 
Spirit,  power  to  discern  the  difference  between  the 
spirits,  and  to  see  hidden  things  as  did  Peter  in 
the  case  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira.  Power  to  dis- 
cern between  the  voice  of  the  Lord  and  the  voice  of 
the  enemy,  power  to  discern  between  the  genuine 
and  the  counterfeit  is  surely  needed  in  these  last 
days  when  the  devil  would  deceive  the  very  elect  if 
that  were  possible.  But  praise  God  it  is  not  pos- 
sible, for  His  sheep  know  His  voice  and  a  stranger 
will  they  not  follow.  With  the  gift  of  discernment, 
surely  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  is  needed,  to  speak 
and  reveal  when  the  Lord  leads,  or  to  keep  silent, 
when  the  Lord  so  wills.  To  another  is  given 

DIVERS  KINDS  OF  TONGUES. 

Although  every  one  who  received  the  baptism 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  speaks  in  other  tongues  as  the 
Spirit  gives  utterance,  yet  not  every  one,  in  fact 
comparatively  few,  receive  the  Gift  of  Tongues, 
i.  e.  power  to  speak  at  will  in  foreign  languages. 
This  gift,  however,  is  still  given  today,  and  many 
whom  we  know  personally  have  spoken  in  tongues 
to  foreigners  in  their  own  language,  and  have  told 
them  of  Jesus  the  might  to  save. 

One  dear  washerwoman  that  has  never  learned 
a  word  of  another  language  in  her  life  speaks  to 
the  Greek  fruit  store  man,  to  the  Chinese  laundry 
man,  etc.,  in  their  own  tongues,  of  Jesus,  and  God 

583 


THIS  IS  THAT 

sends  His  truth  home.  Another  young  lady  we 
know  preached  to  the  Chinese  in  Chinatown  in  the 
Chinese  language,  which  she  never  studied,  and 
many  were  saved.  To  another  is  given  the 

INTERPRETATION  OF  TONGUES. 

Cor.  14:13  says:  "Let  him  that  speaketh  in  an 
unknown  tongue  pray  that  he  may  interpret." 
Also  verse  5  of  the  same  chapter  says :  "Greater 
is  he  that  prophcsicth  than  he  that  speaketh  with 
tone/lies  EXCEPT  HE  INTERPRET,  that  the 
church  may  receive  edifying.  Verse  27  tells  us 
that  when  we  come  together  if  any  man  speak  in  an 
iink-no urn  tongue  let  it  be  by  two  or  at  most  by 
three  and  that  by  course  and  let  one  interpret. 
But  if  there  be  no  interpreter  let  him  keep  silence 
in  the  church,  and  Jet  him  speak  to  himself  and  to 
(iod.  So  at  once  we  see  the  necessity  of  having  the 
gift  of  interpretation  in  our  assemblies.  Let  us 
take  Paul's  advice,  and  pray  that  we  may  in- 
terpret. 

When  all  these  gifts  are  in  the  church,  and  the 
Spirit  has  divided  to  each  man  severally  as  He 
wills,  they  (when  coupled  with  the  fruits  of  the 
Spirit)  form  a  perfect  organism — not  an  organi- 
zation but  an  organism,  each  member  is  incom- 
plete without  the  other,  and  the  hand  can  not  say 
to  the  foot  I  have  no  need  of  you.  But  each  mem- 
ber must  recognize  the  ministry  of  the  other,  and 
all  work  together  as  a  perfect  body,  in  perfect 
unity,  for  while  there  are  many  members  there  is 
just  one  body.  While  we  are  made  up  of  many 
members  we  must  all  be  controlled  by  Christ  who 
is  the  head  of  the  body. 

Dear,  sleeping,  baptized  believers  wake  up  and 
let  us  press  on  into  the  land  of  Canaan  and  pos- 
sess our  heritage,  and  accept  the  gifts  and  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit  which  God  is  waiting  to  be- 
stow upon  those  who  covej;  earnestly  the  best  gifts. 


584 


THE  VALLEY  OP  DRY  BONES. 

Ezekiel  37:  (1:14). 

LET    us    begin    this    wonderful    chapter   with 
the   first   words   of   the   first  verse   and   go 
down    into    this    valley    and   its    experiences 
step  by  step  with  the  Prophet  Ezekiel. 

THE  HAND  OF  THE  LORD  WAS  UPON  ME: 

What  a  wonderful  thing  it  is  for  an  individual 
to  know  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  him ! 
Away  down  in  Florida,  when  Ave  were  preaching 
to  the  dear  colored  people,  they  used  to  love  to 
sing  this  verse : 

"Chil'en,  Ah  knows  de  Lawd, 

riiil'en,  A.h  knows  de  Lawd, 
Ah  knows  de  Lawd,1 

Dun  got  His  han?  on  me." 

and  O,  this  afternoon  I  am  so  conscious  of  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  resting  upon  me.  Praise  His 
name. 

THE  HAND  OF  THE  LORD  WAS  UPON  ME,  AND  CARRIED 
ME   OUT    IN   THE    SPIRIT    OF    THE    LORD: 

This  was  by  no  means  the  first  time  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  had  been  upon  Ezekiel.  Had  he  not  been 
caught  up  unto  mountain  tops  of  Revelation? 
Had  he  not  seen  the  four  living  creatures,  the 
cherubims  and  the  Ark?  Had  he  not  beheld  the 
glory  of  the  Lord?  and  the  mighty  movings  of  His 
power?  Ezek.  1:28  and  10:4. 

Doubtless,  when  the  hand  of  the  Lord  came  down 
upon  him  and  carried  him  out  in  the  Spirit,  Eze- 
kiel longed  to  be  lifted  again  to  some  ethereal 
height  of  glory.  The  Lord  was  moving  him  out; 
what  wonders  was  the  Lord  about  to  show  him 
now?  Have  you  ever  wondered  what  Ezekiel's 
feelings  must  have  been  when  he  opened  his  eyes 
and  discovered  that  the  Lord  had 

585 


THIS  IS  THAT 
SET  HIM  DOWN  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  A  VALLEY. 

Being  wet  suddenly  down  in  a  valley  after  a  hi  11 -toy) 
experience  is  bad  enough,  but  that  was  not  the 
worst  of  it,  this  was  a  valley 

WHICH    WrAS    FULL   OF   BONES. 

I  think  that  perhaps  some  of  us  know  in  a  little 
measure  how  to  appreciate  and  understand  what 
the  feelings  of  Ezekiel  were.  We,  too,  have  felt  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  upon  us.  We,  too,  have,  at  many 
times,  beheld  His  glory  and  dwelt  in  the  midst  of 
life  and  power.  We,  too,  have  had  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  set  us  down  in  a  certain  assembly,  home, 
neighborhood  or  city,  Avherein  we  have  opened  our 
eyes  to  discover,  Avith  a  start,  that  we  have  been 
deposited  right  in  the  "midst"  of  a  valley  which  is 
literally  "full"  of  bones. 

AND  HE  CAUSED  ME  TO  PASS  BY  THEM  ROUND  ABOUT  : 

AND  BEHOLD  THERE  WERE  VERY  MANY  IN  THE 

OPEN  VALLEY,  AND  THEY  WERE  VERY  DRY. 

Behold,  there  were  very  many.  Oh,  the  pity  of 
it !  Were  there  only  a  few  it  would  not  seem  so 
terrible,  but  the  multitudity  of  these  dry  bones  is 
staggering.  There  are  so  many  precious  Christians 
in  so  many  churches,  in  so  many  climes,  that  are 
down  in  the  valley,  no  spiritual  strength  or  meat 
to  cover  their  frames  of  profession,  nothing  but 
bones — bones — bones. 

IN  THE  OPEN  VALLEY. 

You  need  neither  a  spade  nor  a  pickaxe  to  find 
the  kind  of  bones  that  I  am  speaking  of.  They  are 
in  the  open  valley.  Why,  I  would  not  be  surprised 
if  you  could  turn  round  and  find  some  of  them 
sitting  right  in  the  seat  beside  you  at  this  moment. 

AND    THEY    WERE    VERY    DRY. 

So  dry  they  can  not  say  "Amen"  or  "Hallelujah" 
—so  dry  they  have  not  said  "Praise  the  Lord" 
since  they  entered  this  building — so  dry  that  they 
can  neither  shout  nor  clap  their  hands  themselves, 

586 


THE  VALLEY  OF  DRY  BONES 

and  would  like  to  stop  everybody  else  shouting  and 
rejoicing  if  they  could.  (They  are  almost  like  the 
dog  in  the  manger  who  could  not  eat  the  hay  him- 
self and  would  not  alloAV  the  horse  to  eat  it) — so 
dry  that  there  is  no  real  victory  in  their  lives  or 
ring  to  their  testimony,  or  sterling  worth  to  their 
profession.  Dry !  Dry !  Dry !  You  can  almost  hear 
the  bones  rattle  beneath  their  cloak  of  profession 
whenever  they  preach  or  testify  or  move. 

AND    HE    SAID    UNTO    ME,    SON    OF    MAN,    CAN    THESE 
BONES    LIVE? 

What  a  staggering  question  it  was  with  which 
the  Lord  confronted  Ezekiel — a  question  which 
would  at  once  stop  his  murmuring  over  the  dried- 
up  condition  of  affairs  in  the  bone-yard,  and  re- 
quire unlimited  hope  and  faith  in  the  resurrected, 
life-giving  power  of  the  Lord. 

Have  you  been  placed  in  a  valley  (be  it  home  or 
assembly  or  neighborhood  or  workshop)  that  is 
full  of  dry  bones?  Is  your  minister  dry?  your 
congregation,  etc.?  Then  God  is  confronting  you 
today  with  the  same  question  that  faced  Ezekiel 
away  back  yonder. 

"Son  of  man,  have  you  a  faith  that  can  cause 
these  dry  bones  to  live?"  It  is  one  thing  to  find 
fault  with  and  lament  over  deplorable  conditions 
of  dearth  and  barrenness;  it  is  quite  another  thing 
to  have  the  prayer  and  faith  and  confidence  in  God 
which  will  bring  life  and  strength  and  better  con- 
ditions round  about  you. 

If  you  have  discovered  that  you  are  in  the  midst 
of  a  valley  of  dry  bones,  stop  lamenting  and  com- 
plaining because  you  are  there  and  wishing  you 
had  been  placed  in  a  different  environment  on  the 
hilltop  where  revival  fires  are  burning  and  live 
armies  are  marching.  Thank  God  that  YOU  are 
alive  and  that  GOD  is  alive,  and  that  as  you 
believe  and  pray  life  will  vanquish  death  in  those 
round  about  you  today  as  surely  as  it  did  in  the 

587 


THIS  IS  THAT 

day  of  Ezekiel.  Your  being  placed  in  that  hard, 
dry,  difficult  place  was  not  an  accident,  not  an 
oversight  or  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  God.  Just 
as  surely  as  the  hand  of  the  Lord  set  Ezekiel  down 
in  that  valley  of  dryness  and  death,  so  surely  has 
the  hand  of  your  loving  Father  set  you  down  in 
that  valley,  or  position,  or  home  or  parish. 

"All  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that 
love  God,  to  them  who  are  the  called  according  to 
His  purpose/' 

And  now,  having  placed  you  there,  He  has  con- 
fronted you  with  the  same  question  with  which  He 
confronted  Ezekiel : 

"Have  you  faith  to  believe  and  to  lay  hold  upon 
Me,  the  Life  Giver,  and  claim  that  life  for  these 
dry  bones?" 

AND   EZEKIEL  ANSWERED,  OH,  LORD,   THOU   KNOWEST. 

Here  again  many  can  heartily  sympathize  with 
the  hesitancy  of  Ezekiel,  for  many  children  of  the 
Lord,  I  fear,  have  often  answered  the  challenge  to 
faith  in  the  same  way : 

"Oh,  Lord  God,  Thou  knowest!  They  are  a 
pretty  dried-up  lot  of  people.  There  does  not  seem 
to  be  a  spark  of  life,  or  even  a  longing  for  it.  It 
hardly  seems  possible  that  this  church  or  these 
people  ever  could  be  brought  to  a  real  live  spiritual 
place.  But,  Oh,  Jesus,  increase  my  faith.  Help 
mine  unbelief,  for  I  long  to  see  them  live,  Oh, 
Lord." 

THEN    HE    SAID    UNTO     ME,    PROPHESY     UPON     THESE 

BONES  AND  SAY  UNTO  THEM  :  OH  YOU  DRY  BONES, 

HEAR  THE  WORD  OF  THE  LORD  GOD,  BEHOLD, 

I   WILL   CAUSE   BREATH   TO    ENTER    INTO 

YOU,    AND    YOU    SHALL    LIVE: 

Poor,  dried-up  lifeless  professor,  there  is  hope 
for  even  you.  You  dear  ones  that  do  not  believe 
in  noise  and  shouting,  you  who  do  not  believe  in 
so  much  earnest  prayer  and  praise  to  the  Lamb, 

588 


THE  VALLEY  OF  DRY  BONES 

He  will  cause  breath  to  enter  into  even  you  (and 
you  knoAv  that  Psalin  150  says  "Let  everything 
that  hath  breath  praise  the  Lord"),  and  you  shall 
live. 

SO    I   PROPHESIED    AS    I    WAS    COMMANDED. 

Ah!  there  was  the  secret  of  the  power  and  suc- 
cess of  EzekiePs  prophecy  in  the  valley.  Do  you 
see  it.  A-s  I  w-a-s  c-o-m-m-a-n-d-e-d,  not  with  entic- 
ing words  of  man's  wisdom,  which  seemed  wise  and 
plausible  to  himself — not  words— to  please  and 
lull  his  audience  into  a  false  security,  not  yet  a 
self-righteous  tirade  of  condemnation  that  merely 
showed  them  their  condition  and  dryness;  but  a 
prophecy  that  was  according  to  the  commandment 
of  the  Lord. 

Hallelujah!  "The  entrance  of  His  Word  giveth 
light/7  and  life  and  liberty.  Oh,  for  more  Ezekiels 
today  who  would  prophesy  according  to  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  instead  of  bringing  in  side 
issues  and  divisions  and  strifes — then  would  we 
see  more  shaking  in  the  valleys  of  dry  bones,  and 
the  wind  of  the  Spirit  should  blow,  bringing  life  to 
those  that  sleep. 

AND  AS  I  PROPHESIED  THERE  WAS  A  NOISE. 

God  grant  that  even  as,  whilst  Ezekiel 
prophesied,  there  was  a  noise,  and  as  whilst  Peter 
yet  spake  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  (Acts  10),  that  while 
I  am  yet  speaking,  the  power  may  fall  upon  you 
just  now.  Oh  that  our  words  may  be  so  in  accord 
with  the  commandments  of  God  that  whilst  we  are 
yet  speaking  we,  too,  will  hear  a  "noise"  of  men 
and  women  crying  out: 

"What  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life,  and  to 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit?'7  the  noise  of  praise  and 
intercession,  the  sound  of  an  abundance  of  rain, 
the  sound  of  His  chariot  wheels  upon  the  moun- 
tains, and  the  stirring  in  the  tops  of  the  mulberry 
trees. 

589 


THIS  IS  THAT 

AND     AS     I     PROPHESIED     THERE     WAS     A     NOISE,     AND 

BEHOLD,  A  SHAKING,  AND  THE  BONES   CAME 

TOGETHER,  BONE  TO   HIS  BONE. 

You  notice  that  as  Ezekiel  prophesied  there  were 
three  distinct  things  that  took  place  in  the  valley 
of  dry  bones — three  periods  that  they  passed 
through.  Firstly,  the  noise :  Secondly,  the  shaking : 
Thirdly,  the  bones  came  together. 

When  the  latter  rain  began  to  fall  in  copious 

showers    in    1907,    the    Spirit   moved    mightily    in 

answer    to    prayer    the    whole    world 

FIRST,  over,  awakening  and  bringing  to  life 

THE  NOISE      innumerable    valleys    of    dry    bones — 

there  was  a  noise.     Sinners  wept  their 

way  to  Jesus  and  cried  aloud : 

"What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved?"  Believers  were 
filled  with  the  Spirit,  shouted,  and  often  talked 
for  hours  at  a  time  in  other  tongues  (Acts  2:4)  as 
the  Spirit  gave  utterance.  The  noise  of  their 
joyous  praises  filled  the  sky.  The  glimpse  which 
believers  caught  of  the  body  and  of  the  plan  of  God 
to  restore  the  church  to  her  full  Pentecostal  power 
and  life  caused  them  to  shout  aloud  before  the 
glorious  vision,  and  well,  it  is  putting  it  very  mod- 
erately to  say : 

"There  was  a  noise." 

But  stop!  Listen!  What  is  this — this  remarkable 
shaking  as  of  an  earthquake,  Avhich  immediately 
follows — surely  and  inevitably  everywhere — behind 
the  first  noise  of  the  Spirit's  outpouring?  If  you 
but  open  your  eyes  and  look  about  you  throughout 
this  movement  the  world  over,  you  too  will  see, 
"and  behold  a  tkaking." 

Has  your  assembly  or  the  company  with  which 

you  have  been  wront  to  worship,  been  going  through 

a   shaking?     Have  you  personally 

SECOND,  been  subjected  to  a  severe  shaking? 

THE  SHAKING.     Has  your  heart  ached?  and  have 

you,  too,  asked  a  continual  Why? 

590 


THE  VALLEY  OF  DRY  BOXES 

Why?  and  wherefore?  when  you  have  seen 
brothers,  that  were  bosom  friends  and  comrades 
in  the  battle,  separate  and  drift  apart,  assemblies 
split  in  two,  or  half  a  dozen  factions,  as  the  case 
may  be.  Have  you  wondered  why  this  one  doesn't 
come  back,  and  that  one  compromised,  and  those 
two  couldn't  agree  and  were  so  widely  divided?  I 
will  tell  you  why  it  was.  It  was  because  of  the 
shaking  which  followed  the  noise.  It  is  following 
in  the  life  of  every  assembly.  It  is  following  in 
the  life  of  every  believer.  A  mighty  shaking-time 
is  on. 

Just  as  God  shook  out  of  Gideon's  army  until 
there  were  but  three  hundred  left  that  could  not  be 
shaken  (Judges  7)  so  the  Holy  Spirit  is  today 
sifting,  purging  and  shaking,  for  He  "whose  voice 
then  shook  the  earth  .  .  .  hath  promised  say- 
ing,  yet  once  more  I  shake  not  the  earth  only,  but 
also  Heaven,  and  this  word  'yet  once  more'  signi- 
fieth  the  removing  of  those  things  that  are  shaken 

.  .  tha-t  those  things  which  cannot  be  shaken 
may  remain.  Wherefore,  we,  receiving  a  kingdom 
which  cannot  be  moved  .  .  .  may  serve  God 
acceptably."— Heb.  12:26-28. 

When  first  one  sees  the  shaking,  the  splits  and 
divisions  amongst  those  whom  we  know  should  be 
bound  together  in  love,  it  is  heart-rending,  but 
when  we  begin  to  see  the  plan  of  God  as  revealed 
in  His  Word,  we  enter  into  a  place  of  rest,  and 
when  we  read  the  next  clause: 

AND  THE  BONES  CAME  TOGETHER,  BONE  TO  HIS  BONE, 

we  lift  our  hands  and  shout  for  joy. 

There  is  going  to  be  a  coming  together  after  the 
shaking,  some  of  these  days,  dear  hearts,  and  those 
that  come  together  will  be  bound  by  such  cords  of 
unity  and  love  that  nothing  can  separate  them 
again,  and  moreover  when  the  body  comes  together 
it  will  be  "BONE  TO  HIS  BONE." 

This  is  no  patched-up  affair,  no  man-made  peace, 

591 


THIS  IS  THAT 

no   temporary   armistice,   but   a   unity   that   shall 
remain. 

"Bone  to  his  bone/'  When  man  in  his  own  wis- 
dom tries  to  fix  the  body  up  by  choosing  and  ordain- 
ing, pastors,  teachers,  evangelists,  prophets,  helps, 
governments,  etc.,  he  is  almost  sure  to  pick  the 
wrong  bones  or  else  put  the  right  bones  in  the 
wrong  places.  That  is  why  so  many  man-made 
organizations  have  the  ear  where  the  eye  ought  to 
be,  or  the  foot  where  the  hand  ought  to  be. 

Aren't  you  glad  that  God  sets  His  own  church 
in  order  and  that  HE  sets  some  in  the  church,  first 
apostles,  secondly  prophets,  thirdly 
THIRD,  teachers,   etc.    (I   Cor.   12:28),   and 

THE  COMING  that  when  He  has  shaken  out  all 
TOGETHER.  that  can-be  shaken  and  tossed  about 
by  every  wind  that  blows,  and  has 
gathered  together  the  firm,  true,  uncompromising, 
unshakable  bones,  He  Avill  Himself  put  them  in 
their  appointed  places  in  the  body,  bone  to  his 
bone.  "For  as  the  body  is  on,c,  and  hath  many 
members,  and  all  the  members  of  that  one  body, 
being  many,  are  one  body,  so  also  is  Christ,  for  by 
one  Spirit  are  we  all  baptized  into  one  body"  .  .  . 
and  "now  hath  God  set  the  members  every  one  of 
them  in  the  body  as  it  hath  pleased  Him  . 
now  ye  are  the  body  of  Christ  and  members  in 
particular." 

We  will  not  see  the  body  come  together  in  an 
entirety  which  will  be  apparent  to  the  human 
eye,  before  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  This  move- 
ment, please  God,  will  never  be  one  great  organiza- 
tion, but  rather  an  Organism.  We  arc  expecting, 
however,  a  unity  amongst  the  different  members  of 
the  body  (such  as  we  have  never  seen  before)  to 
develop  right  down  here  in  this  old  world. 

One  member  of  the  body  is  made  up  of  many 
joints  which  are  in  one  accord  and  work  harmoni- 
ously, one  in  connection  with  the  other,  joined  to- 

592 


THE  VALLEY  OF  DRY  BONES 

gether  by  the  cords  of  love.  The  members  of  the 
body  (that  is  the  assemblies  or  communities)  are 
moved  and  controlled  not  by  their  own  wisdom  or 
the  orders  of  one  another,  but  by  the  Head,  which 
is  Christ.  And  as  each  member,  moved  by  the 
Head,  obeys  His  will,  there  will  be  unity  and 
harmony  and  a  coming  together.  Each  member  is 
made  up  of  many  smaller  members.  In  the  arm 
there  are  the  fingers,  the  hand,  the  bones  of  the 
wrist,  of  the  forearm,  and  the  shoulder.  Today  is 
the  day  that  the  smaller  bones  and  joints  are 
taking  their  place  in  forming  the  members.  When 
Jesus  shall  appear  the  many  members  of  the  body 
shall  be  gathered,  and  the  final  great  coming  to- 
gether will  take  place  in  the  air.  Hallelujah ! 

AND    WHEN    I    BEHELD,    LO,    THE    SINEWS    AND    THE 

FLESH  CAME  UP  UPON  THEM,  AND  THE  SKIN  COVERED 
THEM  ABOVE;  BUT  THERE  WAS  NO  BREATH  IN  THEM. 
THEN  SAID  HE  UNTO  ME,  PROPHESY  UNTO  THE  WIND, 

PROPHESY,  SON  OF  MAN,  AND  SAY  TO  THE  WIND, 
THUS  SAITH  THE  LORD  GOD,  COME  FROM  THE  FOUR 
WINDS,  O  BREATH,  AND  BREATHE  UPON  THESE  SLAIN, 
THAT  THEY  MAY  LIVE. 

SO  I  PROPHESIED  AS  HE  COMMANDED  ME,  AND  THE 
BREATH  CAME  INTO  THEM,  AND  THEY  LIVED,  AND 
STOOD  UPON  THEIR  FEET,  AN  EXCEEDING  GREAT  ARMY. 

Oh,  if  there  is  a  soul  here  tonight  who  was  once 
as  a  dried-up  skeleton,  has  now  been  redeemed  and 
has  been  covered  with  the  sinews  and  flesh  and 
skin  (the  covering  of  grace  and  salvation),  and 
you  have  been  slain  by  the  mighty  sword  of  His 
power,  what  you  need  now  is  the  baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  same  Holy  Spirit  that  filled  the 
house  with  the  sound  as  of  a  rushing,  mighty  wind 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  shall  come  upon  you, 
endue  you  with  power,  stand  you  upon  your  feet, 
and  join  you  to  this  exceeding  great  army.  (Rev. 
7:9.)' 

Sinner,  backslider,  luke-warm  professor,  whoso- 

593 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ever  and  wherever  you  are,  you  do  not  need  to 
remain  in  the  grave  or  the  valley  of  dry  bones  any 
longer.  The  Lord  is  waiting  to  bring  you  up  out 
of  your  graves  of  coldness  and  death,  and  cause 
you  to  know  Him  in  salvation,  to  fill  you  with  His 
Spirit  and  lead  you  to  Canaan's  land.  Read  the 
12th,  13th  and  14th  verses  of  this  37th  chapter  of 
Ezekiel. 

"Behold  My  people,  I  will  open  your  graves  and 
cause  you  to  come  up  out  of  your  graves''  (sin), 
"and  bring  you  into  the  land  of  Israel"  (salva- 
tion). "And  ye  shall  KNOW  that  I  am  the  Lord 
when  I  have  opened  your  graves,  Oh,  My  people, 
and  brought  you  up  out  of  your  graves.''  (Notice 
He  says  you  will  KNOW— there  will  be  no  "think 
so"  about  your  salvation.  You  will  have  a  definite 
knowledge  that  you  have  passed  from  death  unto 
life.) 

The  13th  verse  is  glorious.  Do  not  stop  there, 
however,  but  go  on  into  the  14th,  "and  shall  put 
My  Spirit  in  you  and  ye  shall  live;  and  I  shall 
place  you  in  your  OWN  land;  then  shall  ye  know 
that  I,  the  Lord,  have  spoken  it  and  proclaimed  it, 
saith  the  Lord" 

(Here  is  another  definite  experience  you  will 
know  about.  He  does  not  say  you  will  guess  I 
have  performed  it — My  promise  to  fill  you  with  the 
Spirit — or  you  will  take  it  by  faith,  but  you  will 
KNOW  I  have  performed  it.  Then  praise  the 
Lord.  When  He  saves  you  you  know  it,  for  He 
has  brought  you  into  the  Land  of  Israel,  and  when 
He  baptizes  you  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  speaks 
through  you  with  other  tongues  you  will  know  it, 
and  He  will  bring  }^ou  into  your  own  land,  the 
land  of  fruitfuluess  and  victory  which  He  has 
made  as  a  promised  land  to  those  who  will  obey 
Him. 

And  you,  dear  child  of  God,  no  matter  how  dead 
and  dry  the  bones  in  your  particular  valley  may 

594 


THE  VALLEY  OF  DRY  BONES 

be,  do  not  be  discouraged  or  question  the  divine 
wisdom  that  set  you  down,  just  where  you  are,  but 
respond  to  the  call  of  faith  the  Lord  is  sending 
you,  and  prophesy  as  His  Word  commands,  and 
if  you,  hidden  behind  the  cross,  lift  Jesus  up,  He 
will  shine  down  into  the  cold,  benighted  hearts 
round  about  you,  bringing  healing  and  life  and 
filling  with  His  Spirit  until  from  that  valley  of 
dry  bones  a  transformed,  triumphant  army  shall 
rise  and  inarch  forth  to  join  the  great  body  (for 
now  are  they  many  members,  yet  but  one  body. — I 
Cor.  12:20). 

The  great,  final  coming-together  day  when  the 
many  members  of  the  same  body  shall  be  united, 
and  when  the  body  sfiall  be  united  to  the  Head,  is 
at  hand.  What  a  wonderful  day  it  will  be  when 
Jesus  speaks  from  the  heavens — the  NOISE  of  His 
triumphant  shout  shall  be  heard  (I  Thess.  4.16)  ; 
the  graves  shall  be  SHAKEN  wide,  fetters  of  mor- 
tality shall  be  shaken  loose;  and  from  the  four 
quarters  of  the  earth,  from  the  dead  and  from  the 
living,  each  bone,  each  member  of  the  body  SHALL 
COME  TOGETHER  and  rise  to  fill  its  allotted 
place  in  that  body,  bone  to  his  bone. 

The  time  is  short  now,  dear  ones.  Each  setting 
sun  brings  us  just  one  day  nearer  the  catching-up 
of  this  triumphant  body  who  shall  rise  to  meet  the 
Lord  in  the  air.  'Twill  be  a  body  of  overcomers, 
a  band  of  people  who  have  been  tested,  shaken,  and 
proved — who  have  washed  their  robes  in  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  and  come  up  out  of  great  tribulation. 
Will  you  yield  yourselves  as  never  before  to  the 
dealings  of  the  Lord,  and  instead  of  murmuring 
at  His  shakings  in  your  life,  cry  unto  Him : 

"Strip  me,  Lord,  of  everything, 
Of  this  world  and  self,  and  sin, 
That  I  may  see  the  coming  King, 
And  a  crown  of  glory  win." 


595 


"DEATH  IN  THE  POT." 

"And  Elisha  came  again  to  Gilgal:  and  there  was  a  dearth 
in  the  land;  and  the  sons  of  the  prophets  were  sitting  before 
him:  and  he  said  unto  his  servant,  Set  on  the  great  pot,  and 
see  the  pottage  for  the  sons  of  the  prophets. 

And  one  went  out  into  the  field  to  gather  herbs,  and  found 
a  wild  vine,  and  gathered  thereof  wild  gourds  his  lap  full, 
and  came  and  shred  them  into  the  pot  of  pottage:  for  they 
knew  them  not. 

So  they  poured  out  for  the  men  to  eat:  and  it  came  to 
pass,  as  they  were  eating  of  the  pottage,  that  they  cried  out, 
and  said,  O  thou  man  of  God,  there  is  DEATH  IN  THE  POT. 
And  they  could  not  eat  thereof. 

But  he  said,  Then  bring  meal.  And  he  cast  it  into  the 
pot;  and  he  said,  Pour  out  for  the -people,  that  they  may  eat. 
And  there  was  no  harm  in  the  pot." — II.  Kings  4:38-41. 

""•    YLISHA   came   to   Gilgal   and   there   was   a 

IH  dearth  in  the  land7' — There  had  not  al- 
"" —  ways  been  a  dearth  in  Gilgal : 

Gilgal  had  once  been  wondrously  blessed  of 
God.  Blessing  and  bounty  had  walked  its  streets 
hand  in  hand.  Had  they  not  echoed  and  resounded 
with  shouting  and  rejoicing  and  the  marching  feet 
of  four  thousand  men  of  Avar,  as  the  priests,  led 
by  Joshua,  had  borne  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of 
the  Lord  thither? 

After  they  had  pitched  camp  and  set  up  their 
twelve  stones  as  a  monument  of  Jordan's  parted 
waters  (Jos.  4:3  and  20),  and  kept  the  Passover, 
had  they  not  eaten  of  the  old  com  of  the  land  and 
the  fruit  of  the  land  of  Canaan?  The  long-looked- 
for  promised  land  had  been  reached.  No  more 
need  for  wilderness  wanderings,  "and  the  manna 
ceased  on  the  morrow  after  they  Juid  eaten  of  the 
old  corn  of  the  land;  neither  had  the  children  of 
Israel  manna  any  more,  but  they  did  eat  the  fruit 
of  the  land  of  Canaan  that  year/7  (Jos.  5:11, 12.) 

Was  it  not  at  Gilgal  that,  after  the  Lord  had 
appeared  as  Captain  of  the  host  (Jos.  5:14),  and 

596 


"DEATH  IN  THE  POT" 

Joshua  had  fallen  on  his  face  to  the  earth,  the 
Lord  said  unto  hini: 

"Loose  thy  shoe  from  off  thy  foot;  for  the  place 
whereon  thou  standest  is  holy?" 

And  after  Samuel  had  anointed  Saul,  did  he 
not  send  him  unto  Gilgal  to  "tarry  until"  the 
"Spirit  of  the  Lord"  should  "come  upon"  him  with 
"signs"  following,  that  should  give  him  "another 
heart"  and  turn  him  "into  a  new  man?"  (Read 
I  Sam.  10:6-9.)  What  a  wonderful  type  of  Pente- 
cost !  Later  Samuel  said  to  the  people : 

"Come,  let  us  go  to  GILGAL  and  renew  the 
kingdom  there"  even  as  the  early  apostles  had  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem  for  fresh  anointings  of  the 
Spirit. 

"A  DEARTH  IN  THE  LAND/' 

But  behold,  now,  something  has  happened.  The 
children  of  the  Lord  have  become  cold,  lukewarm, 
backslidden.  Such  a  great  dearth  has  come  to 
Gilgal  and  the  surrounding  countries  that  they 
have  "cleanness  of  teeth  and  want  of  bread" 
(Amos  4  :6.)  "Transgressions  have  been  multiplied  " 
but  in  Hosea  4:16,  the  Lord  promises  Israel  (who, 
in  her  iniquity,  He  has  likened  to  a  backsliding 
heifer  and  forbidden  to  enter  Gilgal),  that  if  they 
will  folloAv  Him  He  will  feed  them  as  a  lamb  in  a 
large  place. 

During  the  former  rain  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  began  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts 
2:4),  the  ark  containing  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
(spiritually  speaking),  rested  in  Jerusalem  as  in 
Gilgal  of  old.  Even  as  Saul  had  been  sent  to 
Gilgal  to  tarry  till  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was 
come  upon  him  and  till  the  signs  came  to  pass, 
so  the  hundred  and  twenty  had  been  commanded 
to  tarry  in  Jerusalem  until  the  Holy  Spirit  should 
come  upon  them  with  signs  following. 

The  long-looked-for,  long-prophesied  (Isaiah  28: 
11,  2:13;  Joel  2:23  and  28;  Zech.  10:1;  Mat.  3:11; 

597 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Luke  24:49;  John  14,  15,  16;  Acts  1:5  and  8) 
promised  land  had  been  reached.  True,  God  had 
kept  them  whilst  in  the  wilderness,  and  manna  had 
come  upon  them,  as  the  inspired  words  fell  from 
the  mouths  of  the  holy  prophets  of  old  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit — true,  the  words  of 
Jesus  had  been  as  manna  from  heaven,  whilst  He 
walked  this  earth  in  the  fleshly  body,  but  now — 
now — the  Holy  Spirit  had  come — N-O-W — they 
had  entered  Canaan's  land,  and  instead  of  the 
manna  which  had  been  taken  away,  and  fell  no 
more  upon  them  (Jesus  being  returned  to  the 
Father  and  His  voice  being  heard  no  more),  they 
had  corn  and  oil  and  wine  ( Joel  2:19),  as  the 
Spirit  spoke  through  them  of  Jesus  and  His  com- 
ing kingdom.  "And  they  did  eat  the  old  CORN 
of  the  land'  ( Jos.  5  ill,  12 )  "neither  had  they 
manna  any  more,  but  they  did  eat  the  fruit  of  the 
land  of  Canaan."  (See  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  Gal. 
5:22.) 

Jerusalem  (as  Gilgal  of  old)  rang  with  the 
praises  of  the  Lord,  and  with  the  marching  feet  of 
new  converts,  new  men  of  war,  who  went  forth  to 
follow  the  Captain  of  the  host.  On  the  day  of 
Pentecost  three  thousand  souls  were  added  to  the 
church ;  with  pure  hearts  overflowing  with  joy,  and 
with  unshod  feet,  His  people  walked  softly  before 
Him  and  fell  upon  their  faces  in  adoration.  Just 
as  the  twelve  tribes  erected  their  monument  of 
twelve  stones,  so  the  twelve  disciples  stood  as  a 
monument  of  the  mighty  power  of  the  great  and 
holy  One  who  had  parted  the  waters  of  the  Red 
Sea — "Salvation" — and  parted  the  waters  of 
Jordan  to  bring  them  to  Canaan's  land — "The 
Baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Each  time  did  the 
Lord  Himself  have  to  part  the  waters  before  His 
children  could  cross  over  into  the  new  experience. 

Humanity  could  neither  swim  nor  ford  the  Red 
Sea — The  Lord  Himself  miraculously  opened, 

598 


"DEATH  IN  THE  POT" 

through  His  blood,  a  path — salvation — which 
meant  at  once  deliverance  and  Life  to  repentant 
believers — and  Death  to  unrepentant  unbelievers. 
Mankind  could  not  cross  the  judgment  of  old 
Jordan's  waves,  nor  make  themselves  worthy  to 
enter  Canaan  and,  again  through  parted  waters 
(His  GRACE  and  His  WORTHINESS,  which  towered 
on  either  side)  He  led  His  people  forth  to  the 
promised  land,  and  filled  them  with  the  Spirit. 
Here  are  two  experiences — Salvation  and  the 
Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit — which  we  could  not 
have  brought  ourselves  into,  therefore  did  He  part 
the  waters  each  time.  Bless  His  name. 

"ELISHA  CAME  AGAIN  TO  GILGAL." 
After  the  disciples  and  apostles  had  fallen  asleep 
in  the  Lord,  and  the  many  years  of  blessing  where- 
in the  power  and  glory  of  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
been  manifested,  came  the  gradual  falling  away  of 
the  spirituality  of  the  church.  The  apostacy  and 
dark  ages  followed,  but  holy,  inspired  prophecy 
had  said : 

"He  who  sent  the  former  rain  moderately  shall 
send  you  the  rain,  both  the  former  and  the  latter 
rain  together  in  one  month,''  and  "It  shall  come  to 
pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out 
My  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,"  etc. 

"AND    ELISHA    CAME    AGAIN    TO    GILGAL,"    Hal  lei  U- 

jah !  The  time  for  the  latter  rain  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  which  was  to  take  place  in  the 
last  days  had  come,  and  Elisha  (who  stands  for 
the  visual  manifestation  of  the  power  of  God  in 
signs  and  wonders)  came  A-G-A-I-N  to  Gilgal. 

And  when  he  came  he  found  that  "THERE  WAS 
A  GREAT  DEARTH  IN  THE  LAND.7' 

Ah,  yes!  What  a  dearth  there  was  in  the  land! 
What  a  crying  out  for  food,  and  pottage,  and  bread 
and  lentils  in  and  just  prior  to  the  years  1905 
and  1906. 

How  many  churches  and  saints  cried  to  Heaven : 

599 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Oh,  for  the  old-time  power!  Oh  for  another 
Pentecost!"  The  Methodist  church,  the  Salvation 
Army,  the  Holiness  church,  and  many  others  sang 
and  prayed  these  words  over  and  over  (but  Oh, 
how  few  really  recognized  the  answer  when  it 
came,  "wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes  and  in  a 
manger" ) .  Nevertheless  the  AVord  of  God  said : 

When  you  call  upon  Me  I  will  answer,  and  in 
the  day  that  you  seek  Me  ivith  your  whole  heart  I 
will  be  found  of  you;  turn  unto  the  Lord  with 
weeping  and  mourning,  and  .  .  .  "He  will  re- 
turn and  repent  and  leave  a  blessing  behind  Him, 
even  a  meat  offering  and  a  drink  offering." 

"SET  ON  THE  GREAT  POT." 

Therefore,  when  Elisha  came  again  to  Gilgal, 
that  is  when  the  Holy  Spirit,  at  the  specified  time 
for  the  latter  rain,  found  the  hungry  saints  sitting 
before  Him  with  one  accord  and  one  desire,  even  as 
the  hundred  and  twenty  had  sat  in  waiting  expec- 
tation of  old,  "He  said  unto  his  servant: 

"Set  on  the  great  pot  and  seethe  the  pottage  for 
the  sons  of  the  prophets."  "Blessed  are  they  that 
do  hunger  and  thirst,  for  they  shall  be  filled." 

Oh,  glory  to  Jesus !  I  can  just  close  my  eyes  as 
I  write,  here  before  my  open  Bible  tonight,  and 
see  the  great  Pentecostal  pot  (the  entire  Pente- 
costal movement),  being  brought  out  and  set  upon 
the  fire — the  Holy  Spirit  is,  of  course,  the  fire — our 
prayer,  and  praises  are  the  WOOD  (and  Oh,  it 
takes  good  dry  wood,  full  of  pitch,  to  make  a  real 
red  hot  fire — water-soaked,  rotten  wood  of  worldli- 
ness  and  unbelief  will  only  smoke  and  smudge  and 
hinder). 

Once  suspended  over  the  fire  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  Pentecostal  pot  soon  began  to  boil  and  simmer, 
as  hungry  saints  came  together,  each  bringing  a 
contribution  of  carefully  tilled  vegetables  in  their 
hands  as  an  offering. 

600 


7<DEATH  IN   THE  POT" 

What  a  mixture,  what  a  conglomeration  came 
together  in  that  pot ! 

Perhaps  there  is  not  another  movement  on  earth 
made  up  of  such  a  varied  assortment  of  teachings, 
creeds  and  organizations,  yet  all  melt  and  blend 
into  one  when  put  into  the  WATER  of  the  Word, 
and  boiled  over  the  fire  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

It  was  as  though  myriad  streams,  corning  from 
myriad  fountain-heads,  had  met  and  mingled  to- 
gether, and  NOW  flowed  on  in  ONE  great  stream 
as  though  they  had  never  been  divided. 

Its  fire  was  as  that  of  a  great  burning  pile  of 
WOOD,  hewn  and  gathered  from  many  sources — 
from  varied  kinds  of  trees — from  widely  separated 
forests,  now  leaping  heavenward  in  one  great 
flame  of  love  and  devotion. 

It  was  as  many  VEGETABLES,  planted,  watered, 
cultivated,  tilled  and  brought  from  many  fields, 
put  into  one  pot,  and  now  forming,  with  the 
strong  meat  of  the  Word,  and  the  water  of  the 
Spirit  of  life,  a  rich,  nourishing  food,  whose 
appetizing  and  inviting  fragrance  was  wafted  to 
all  about  upon  the  vapor  of  praise  and  testimony 
which  arises  from  the  dancing,  joyful  mixture 
within. 

With  lightning  rapidity  the  Pentecostal  revival 
has  encircled  the  world;  thousands  and  thousands 
of  hungry  souls  have  been  filled  with  the  Spirit. 

Wait  a  moment !  You  who  are  investigating,  or 
gazing  curiously  into  the  lively,  bubbling,  dancing 
Pentecostal  pot.  Let  us  halt  and  examine  some  of, 
the  people — the  endless  procession  of  people  who 
are  coming  to  contribute  some  edibte  to  the  move- 
ment. Let  us  begin  with  this  man  hurrying  along 
toward  the  pot,  laden  with  vegetables  and  bread 
of  the  first  fruits,  and  see  what  he  has  to  say. 

THE    METHODIST. 

Q.  "Halt!  Who  goes  there?  From  whence  do 
you  come?" 

601 


THIS  IS  THAT 

A.  "I  am  a  METHODIST.  I  come  from  a 
church  founded  upon  the  sound  doctrines  of 
Justification  and  Faith  in  the  present  Power  of 
God,  as  revealed  to  John  Wesley — a  church  where 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  used  to  fall  in  by- 
gone years,  until  saints  shouted,  and  sinners  wept, 
and  the  joyful  danced  before  the  Lord." 

Q.     "O?  And  what  bring  you  in  your  hand?" 

A.  "I  bring  with  me  carefully  tilled  vegetables 
and  bread  of  the  first  fruits,  from  a  grand  old  field 
— a  little  sparsely  'sprinkled,'  and — well — a  little 
'short  of  water' — nevertheless,  diligently  culti- 
vated by  watchfulness  and  the  Word  of  God." 

"Our  harvests  come  from  various  gardens  and 
are  tilled  by  different  gardeners,  some  of  which 
are  known  as  'The  Epworth  League,"  'The  Free 
Methodists/  The  Ranters,"  "The  Shaking  Method- 
ists/ etc.,  yet  'tis  the  same  sun  of  righteousness 
which,  from  the  lofty  heavens,  shines  upon  one 
and  all." 

"Coming  out  from  the  parent  field  I  bring  with 
me  an  appetite  whetted  by  the  cherished  memories 
of  how  God  once  did  work  in  the  old-time  Method- 
ist church;  for,  alas!  Dearth  and  formality  came 
into  our  field,  and  many  therein  were  anhungered." 

"Kindly  excuse  me,  and  allow  me  to  pass,  for  in 
these  last  days  (Acts  2:17)  the  great  pot  of  bless- 
ing has  been  set  upon  the  fire  of  the  Spirit,  and 
thither  do  I  hasten  that  I  may  find  this  old-time 
power  increased  an  hundred  fold." 

(There!  He  is  gone!  I  would  that  I  could  have 
detained  and  conversed  with  him  a  little  longer. 
Let  not  our  hearts  be  troubled,  however,  for  lo,  one 
goeth,  and  behold,  another  cometh.) 

THE   BAPTIST. 

Q.  "Halt!  Who  goes  there?  And  whence  come 
you?" 

A.     "I  am  a  BAPTIST.     I  come  from  a  garden 

602 


"DEATH   IN   THE  POT" 

whose  original  plan  of  gardening  (as  recorded  in 
our  book  of  instructions)  was  patterned  by  the 
Word  of  God,  the  planting  and  springing  up  of  the 
seeds  required  Justification  and  a  Change  of  Heart. 
The  young  plants  were  well  watered,  too — in  fact 
'completely  immersed'  in  the  beginning  of  their 
growth,  but  as  the  plants  grew  and  developed,  and 
had  need  of  the  wind  of  the  Spirit  and  the  falling 
.of  the  latter  rain  for  developing  the  harvest. 
Alas!  between  the  high,  well-guarded  fence  of 
'close  communion-  and  the  heavy  overhead  trellis 
of  theology  and  forms  and  ceremonies,  neither 
wind  nor  rain  could  reach  the  garden." 

"Consequently,  many  of  our  gardeners,  realizing 
that  the  fruit  of  their  labors  was  exceedingly 
'hard  shelled/  and  that  some  life  and  breaking  of 
the  dry  stiffness  was  needed,  tried  an  artificial 
irrigation  process  of  worldiness  and  structural 
magnificence.  Lectures,  concerts  and  amusements 
were  recommended"  and  tried  as  fertilizers.  The 
spiritual  life  of  the  plants,  however,  did  not  thrive 
well  under  this  method,  and  many  withered  and 
pined  away,  and  there  was  a  dearth  in  the  land." 

"Coming  forth  from  behind  our  'close  com- 
munion'  fence,  I  am  hastening  toward  yonder 
brightly  burning  fire,  for  I  do  both  'see  and  hear' 
that  the  great  pot  has  been  set  upon  the  flame. 
Hark !  Can  you  not  hear  its  dancing  and  bubbling, 
and  see  the  vapors  of  praise  rising,  even  from 
here?" 

Q.  "And  what  bring  you  in  your  hand  to 
contribute  to  the  Pentecostal  pot?" 

A.  "I  bring  with  me,  as  bread  of  the  first  fruits, 
the  knowledge  of  the  scriptures,  sound  doctrine, 
and  a  firm  stand  on  Water  Baptism  as  set  forth 
by  our  forefathers.  I  bring  with  me  a  hunger  for 
the  real,  tangible  power  of  God." 

"But,  Ah !  I  catch  the  fragrant  odors  rising  from 
yonder  steaming  caldron." 

603 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"Please  allow  me  to  pass,  that  I  may  receive  my 
portion  from  the  great  pot." 

THE  SALVATIONIST. 

Q.  "Halt!  Who  goes  there?  From  whence 
come  you,  and  why  do  you  come?" 

A.  I  come  from  the  SALVATION  ARMY,  that, 
m  obedience  to  the  call  of  God,  marched  fearlessly 
beneath  their  banner  of  'Blood  and  Fire/  into  the 
very  heart  of  the  enemy's  territory,  taking  cap- 
tives and  making  love-prisoners  for  King  Jesus." 

"I  come  from  a  people  who  in  their  extensive 
gardening  found  labor  for  both  the  'servant  and 
the  maid/  a  body  of  people  who  were  once  deeply 
spiritual  and  prayerful,  and  entirely  separated 
from  the  world  and  its  earthly  lore." 

"True,  amidst  persecution  and  trial,  they  sowed 
the  seed  and  gathered  the  harvest — not  behind 
fenced  enclosures,  but  in  the  streets  and  market- 
place, the  slums  and  the  hovels." 

"I  come  from  a  people  that  used  to  stand  for 
the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit,  and  many  there 
were  among  them  who  shouted  and  danced,  and  fell 
prostrate  under  the  power,  and  saw  visions  of  the 
glory  of  God." 

"Why  do  I  leave?  Why,  because  there  is  a 
dearth  in  our  land — the  old-time  pOAver  is  sadly 
lacking  today,  times  and  business  are  so  pressing, 
pressing,  popularity — our  war  work  in  the  great 
world  contest — never-ending  financial  needs — new 
barns  for  the  extended  harvest  fields — have  been  as 
quick-growing  weeds  that  have  sadly  choked  and 
crowded  out  the  old  spirituality  and  whole-hearted 
abandonment  and  humble  dependence  upon  God." 

"Seeking  and  hungry  for  the  old-time  power,  I 
come  for  food  to  the  great  pot  which  has  been  set 
over  the  fire  of  this  Holy  Ghost  movement." 

Q.     "And  what  bring  you  in  your  hand?" 

A.  "I  bring  with  me  the  first  fruits  of  our 
labors.  Our  field  of  vegetables  had  a  wonderful 

604 


"DEATH  IN  THE  POT77 

beginning;  the  planting  was  beyond  criticism,  and 
if  our  field  had  been  watered  according  to  the 
instructions  of  Chief  Gardener  Jesus,  none  should 
have  excelled  it.  Our  under  gardeners,  however, 
felt  neither  the  prescribed  water  baptism  nor  the 
latter  rain  outpouring  (The  Baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  recorded  in  Acts  2  :4)  to  be  necessary. 

"Our  vegetables  were  not  even  sprinkled, 
Nevertheless  they  contain  a  real  zeal  for  souls 
and  a  courage  to  go  after  them.  I  bring  in  my 
hands  the  old  'Amen  Corner'  and  the  ringing 
Hallelujahs,  singing  and  music,  and  a  faith  and 
perseverance  that  sow  beside  all  waters." 

On  and  on  they  come! 

They  are  flocking  in  from  every  direction,  each 
bringing  some  contribution  to  the  Pentecostal  Pot. 
Here  comes  the  staunch 

PRESBYTERIAN— the  old  Scotch 

COVENANTER— the 

HUGENOT,  and  the  staid 

EPISCOPALIAN  follows  after— pride  and  for- 
mality forgotten. 

One  breath  from  the  fragrant,  boiling  Revival 
on  the  fire  brings  back  a  rush  of  memories  that  re- 
call the  Faith  and  Power  which  rested  in  their 
midst  in  days  of  yore,  when  steadfast,  persecuted 
forefathers  fell  upon  their  knees  in  caves  and  dens 
and  dungeons,  where  plush  and  padded  prayer- 
cushions  were  unknown — memories  of  old-time 
power  and  glorious  blessing  that  followed  in  the 
days  wThen  "they  who  lived  godly  suffered  perse- 
cution"— memories  of  long  nights  spent  in  prayer 
— the  sincere  unaffected  heart's  devotion  of  the 
Saviour  and  His  love. 

Ah,  no !  Neither  gilded  dome,  nor  frescoed  arch, 
nor  rolling  tones  that  throb  and  thunder  in  the 
organ  loft,  nor  surpliced  choir,  nor  e'en  the  col- 
lege-moulded, eloquent  'divine'  (?)  who  speaks  in 
modulated  tones  from  flower-embowered  canopy, 

605 


THIS  IS  THAT 

can  still  the  longing  for  the  old-time  power  that 
glorified  the  sacrifice,  surrender,  prayer  and  faith 
of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers'  day. 

Devoted  saints  come  from  the 
HOLINESS    church,    bringing    the    message    of 
Heart-Purity  and   the   Coming   of   the  Lord,   and 
wonderfully  blessed  of  God,   as  fruitage  needing 
but  one  thing — the  latter  rain. 

The  ADVENTIST  adds  his  teachings  on  the 
Coming  of  the  Lord,  deep  study  of  the  Prophetic 
Wordy  teachings  of  Holiness  and  Freedom  from 
Worldiness. 

The  QUAKER  hastens  up — deep  wells  of  joy- 
ous recollections  rising  in  his  soul — eyes  alight, 
beneath  his  broad-brimmed  hat,  with  the  memories 
of  how  HIS  church,  once  shaken  and  controlled  by 
the  Spirit's  power  (before  the  dearth),  had 
walked  so  close  to  God.  Glowing  coals  within  his 
heart,  long  banked  and  smouldering,  now  burst 
forth  in  flames  again  as  he  hastens  to  the  Holy 
Spirit's  fire  and  the  great  Pentecostal  pot  sus- 
pended thereupon.  He  adds  the  fruitage  from  his 
field — 'sterling  qualities  of  truth,'  'unswerving 
faith'  and  'yielded  ness  to  the  in  or  ings  of  the 
Spirit.' 

And,  would  you  believe  it,  here  comes  the 
ROMAN  CATHOLIC— not  one,  but  many  of  them, 
leaving  the  old  church,  many  have  come  to  the 
Saviour,  have  been  redeemed,  filled  with  the 
Spirit,  and  bring  with  them  a  Holy  Reverence 
and  Obedience  and  deep  appreciation  of  this  new- 
found reality  and  life  in  Jesus  to  add  to  the  happy 
mixture  bubbling  in  the  pot, 

So  many  come  from  every  quarter  that  it  is 
impossible  to  halt  and  question  them  all.  Then 
comes— 

THE  SINNER— Yes,  what  lines  and  lines  of  them. 
Attracted  by  the  reality  and  the  mighty  moving 

606 


of  the  Spirit,  they  bring  with  them  the  Fruits  of 
Repentance  and  First  Love. 

"And  Elisha  said: 

SET    ON    THE    GREAT    POT,    AND    SEETHE    POTTAGE    FOR 
THE   SONS  OF  THE   PROPHETS." 

Oh,  what  a  glorious  feast  we  are  going  to  have! 
What  wonderful  pottage ! 

Lift  up  the  cover  and  peep  in  at  the  dancing, 
joyous  mixture.  See  how,  when  boiled  over  the 
great  FIRE  OR  THE  SPIRIT  and  with  the 
WATER  OF  LIFE,  with  the  MEAT  OF  THE 
WORD  and  the  SALT  which  has  never  lost  its 
savor,  a  great,  change  comes  to  all  the  viands 
within  the  pot;  the  fruits  of  the  fields,  the  vege- 
tables and  the  barley,  lose  their  "hard  shells,', 
slip  out  of  their  Avails  of  differences,,  creeds  and 
forms — forget  they  came  from  widely  separated 
gardens  and  were  tilled  by  gardeners  who  never 
could  agree  as  to  methods,  and  soon  they  burst 
with  praise  as  their  innermost  hearts  flow  forth 
in  love. 

Then,  as  the  fire  burns  on,  they  melt — and  melt 
—and  M-E-L-T  until  the  pottage  is  but  one  united, 
savory  mixture.  Outside  walls  crumble  and  fall 
away,  for  vegetables  must  be  peeled  before  entering 
the  pot  (that  is  barriers  of  organizations  and  dif- 
ferences must  be  left  outside;  peelings  do  not  make 
good  pottage).  Then,  as  the  fire  still  continues  to 
burn  and  the  pot  to  boil,  each  vegetable  and  fruit, 
in  melting,  has  lost  its  own  identity  and  has  so 
united  and  merged  itself  into  the  other  broken, 
melting  hearts  round  about  it,  that  'tis  hard  to 
realize  they  ever  were  divided. 

THE   MAN   WITH   THE   LAPFUL   OF  GOURDS. 

Many  eyes  and  many  footsteps  were  turned 
eagerly  toward  this  Pentecostal  movement; 
brethren  patted  each  other  on  the  back  and  said : 

607 


THIS  IS  THAT 

"No  more  need  of  hunger  or  separation  or 
dearth.  Here  is  unity  everlasting  with  nothing 
to  mar/7 

Hungrily,  servants  and  handmaidens  alike 
dreAV  near  with  clean  plates  and  shining  spoons. 
"What  a  wonderful  feast  we  are  going  to  have," 
they  said. 

But  stop!  Who  is  that  man,  slipping  in  so 
stealthily  behind  the  others,  carrying  something 
in  his  garment?  Let  us  question  him. 

Q.  Halt!  Who  goes  there?  From  whence  do 
Y-O-U  come? 

A.  "Me?  Oh  I  come  from  no  particular 
garden.  I  am  the  'ONE  WTEtO  WENT  OUT  IN 
THE  FIELD  TO  GATHER  HERBS.'  " 

Q.  "And  what  sort  of  vegetables  do  you  bring- 
in  your  lap?" 

A.  "Why — er — that  is,  I — It  is  not  vegetables 
I  bring.  Vegetables  must  be  most  carefully  planted 
in  prepared  ground,  tilled  and  cultivated  (study 
to  show  thyself  approved  unto  God,  a  workman 
that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed).  Whilst  wander- 
ing yonder  I  found  a  Avild  vine  full  of  nice,  fat 
gourds,  no  trouble  to  till  them  at  all.  They  were 
there  already,  and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  pluck  the 
wild  gourds  in  passing.  "See?  I  have  a  good  big 
lapful  here.  Fine  looking  specimens,  are  they 
not?" 

Q.  "Good  specimens  of  'gourds,'  yes,  but  I  am 
not  so  sure  of  their  being  good  to  eat,  or  being 
a  desirable  addition  to  yonder  feast.  I  fear  that 
they  are  poisonous?" 

A.  "Oh,  no,  they  are  not  poisonous,  I  assure 
you." 

Q.  "Well,  what  are  the  names  of  these  different 
gourds?" 

A.  "Why— a— This  one  is  called  'Falun  Tcach- 
itif/:'  this  one  is  called  'Error':  whilst  this  prickly 
one  is  known  as  'Doctrinal  Issues.'  This  puffy 

608 


"DEATH   IN   THE  POT" 

fat  one  is  'Lover  of  Power  and  Recognition.' 
Then  there  is  ( Self -Righteousness/  'Formality" 
"Preconceived  Ideas  and  Teaching,-  'Fear  of  Mani- 
festations/ 'Flesh'  and  'Fanaticism.'  There  are 
many  other  gourds,  and  amongst  their  number  are 
'Lack  of  Brotherly  'Love/  'False  Reports/  'Harsh 
Criticism'  and  'Tale  Bearing.' 

Q.  "Why,  Man !  You  would  never  think  of 
bringing  such  things  into  the  midst  of  a  Pente- 
costal gathering! 

You  are  wrong,  and  the  gourds  are  poisonous. 
They  will  destroy  unity  and  curdle  love  and  make 
endless  confusion  and  trouble. 

Surely  you  do  not  realize  what  you  are  doing ?" 

A.  "Oh,  yes  I  do.  The  Lord  (?)  revealed  this 
thing  to  me  and  I  know  this  new  idea  is  the  only 
right  one.  I  know  these  gourds  are  perfectly  all 
right  and  you  can't  teach  me  anything  about  them. 
Kindly  allow  me  to  pass." 

Q.  "Wait,  wait,  come  back.  There,  he  is 
gone' — he  worms  his  way  into  the  inner  circle,  gets 
close  to  the  pot,  lifts  his  lapful  of  gourds,  and  in 
they  go,  the  whole  lot  of  them,  into  the  pottage. 
On-lookers  innocently  allowed  the  gourds  at  first 
to  pass  them,  and  even — 

Shred  them  into  the  pot  of  pottage,  "for  they 
knew  them  not."  So  they  poured  out  for  men  to 
eat ;  and  it  came  to  pass  as  they  were  eating  of  the 
pottage  that  they  cried  out  and  said: 

OH,  THOU  MAN  OF  GOD,  THERE  IS  DEATH  IN  THE  POT, 

and  they  could  not  eat  thereof." 

Amidst  the  many  who  come  with  good  contribu- 
tions to  the  pot,  here  and  there  steals  up  a  man  or 
woman  with  a  lapful  of  gourds,  which  they  have 
plucked  from  some  wild  vine  as  they  journeyed, 
and  they  are  thrown,  sometimes  ignorantly,  some- 
times knowingly,  into  the  great  pot  upon  the  fire. 

"Oh,  what  a  distressingly  large  lapful  of  poison- 
ous gourds !"  exclaims  the  on-looker  who  had  been 

609 


THIS  IS  THAT 

approaching  with  his  empty  dish  and  spoon,  ready 
to  dine,  and  who  now  draws  back  in  fear. 

"Horrors — the  whole  thing  is  spoiled!" 

There  is  false  teaching  and  error  in  that  move- 
ment, and  I  am  afraid  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  it. 

There  is  "So  and  So,"  Avho  did  "such  and  such" 
a  thing  and  if  that's  Pentecost,  or  if  that's  the  Bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost,  I  for  one,  don't  want  it. 
There's  Mr.  "So.  and  So"  in  our  assembly,  and 
there's  that  one  who  professed  to  be  a  Holy  Ghost 
preacher — did  you  hear  Avhat  he  did? 

Did  you  hear  of  the  gourd  that  he  brought  and 
dumped  into  Pentecost? 

No,  Sir!  The  Avhole  pot  is  contaminated  and 
poisoned.  I  tell  you  there's  DEATH  in  the  pot," 
and  they  are  in  a  straight  between  two,  whether  to 
try  to  overturn  the  whole  pot  or  to  walk  away  and 
leave  it,  warning  others  as  they  go. 

Some  say,  "Come  on,  let's  fight  this  movement. 
Let's  write  some  tracts  against  it  and  do  what  we 
can  to  overturn  the  whole  thing."  Others  who 
walk  away,  warn  everyone  they  meet  by  saying: 

"Did  you  hear  the  news  about  that  Pentecostal 
movement  down  there?  Why,  'So  and  So'  has  just 
brought  the  most  distressing  lapful  of  gourds  and 
dropped  them  into  Pentecost;  unity  is  disrupted; 
love  is  curdled,  the  people  are  made  sick  at  their 
very  hearts.  Don't  you  go  near  that  place." 

Perplexity  and  confusion  falls  upon  many  an  on- 
looker, some  stay  to  criticise;  others  to  wring 
their  hands  and  weep. 

What  shall  YOU  and  I  do?  We  know  that  the 
movement  is  ninety-nine  per  cent  pure,  but  Oh 
that  lapful  of  gourds  has  brought  so  much  trouble! 
Of  course  we  know  that  "WHEN  THE  SONS  OF 
GOD  CAME  TOGETHER  THE  DEVIL  CAME 
ALSO/'  and  that  there  never  was  a  movement  but 
where  someone  came  in  to  bring  reproach,  and 

610 


"DEATH  IN  THE  POT" 

that  even  amongst  the  twelve  disciples  one  was  a 
Judas.  We  also  know  how  one  who  does  not 
measure  up  to  the  standard  is  singled  out  from  the 
ninety-nine  others  and  enlarged  upon  until  the 
"ninety  and  nine  just  ones"  are  forgotten  in  point- 
ing to  and  discussing  him  who  went  astray. 

"Well,  we  know  the  thing  is  not  right  anyway, 
as  it  is,  and  I  guess  we  better  go  away.  Too  bad, 
isn't  it?" 

"But  wait  a  moment — 

"Who  is  this  so  swiftly  approaching  with  a  well- 
filled  sack  clasped  tightly  in  his  arms?" 

Q.  "Who  goes  there,  and  what  do  you  bring  in 
your  hands?" 

A.  "I  am  the  man  with  the  sack  of  meal.  The 
meal  is  the  Word  of  God.  I  go  to  cast  it  into  the 
pot.  This  meal  will  simmer  down  to  the  bottom 
of  the  whole  affair  and  settle  all  disturbances.  It 
shall  cry  aloud : 

"  'What  saith  the  scriptures?  Bring  forth  the 
plumb  line.  Let  God  be  true  and  every  man  a 
liar.  Prove  all  things.  Abhor  that  which  is  evil; 
cleave  to  that  which  is  good.  Be  not  overcome  of 
evil,  but  overcome  evil  with  good.' ' 

This  word  is  quick  and  powerful  and  shall  not 
fail,  if  cast  into  the  pot,  to  purify  and  bring  order 
out  of  confusion. 

BRING  THE  MEAL — THE  WORD  OF  GOD. 

"And  EHsha  said,  bring  meal,  and  he  cast  it  into 
the  pot;  and  he  said,  pour  out  for  the  people  that 
they  may  eat,  and  there  was  no  harm  in  the 
pot." 

Oh  hallelujah!  The  Word  of  God  is  being 
poured  into  this  movement  and  His  Word  is 
accomplishing  that  whereunto  it  has  been  sent. 
The  Holy  Spirit  today  is  calling  as  did  Elisha 
of  old: 

611 


THIS  IS  THAT 
"POUR  OUT   FOR   THE   PEOPLE   THAT   THEY    MAY   EAT." 

I  can  seem  to  see  the  surrounding  circle  of 
empty  plates  and  see  the  hungry  faces  of  the  dear 
ones  as  they  are  partaking  themselves  and  calling 
to  others  to  come,  "taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is 
good.7' 

"POUR  OUT  TO  THE  PEOPLE  THAT  THEY 
MAY  EAT."  Oh,  yes,  that  is  the  greatest  mission 
of  the  hour.  Give  unto  the  people  that  they  may 
eat. 

If  you  have  discovered  something  somewhere  in 
your  vicinity  or  in  the  movement  at  large,  which 
looks  to  you  like  a  gourd,  instead  of  turning  your 
back  and  your  judgment  and  wholesale  condem- 
nation upon  the  whole  thing,  go  bring  the  meal 
(II  Kings  4:41),  get  the  Word  of  God  and  find 
out  wThat  saith  the  scriptures.  "If  this  work  be 
of  men  it  will  come  to  naught;  but  if  it  be  of  God, 
ye  cannot  overthrow  it,  lest  haply  ye  be  found  even 
to  fight  against  God.7-  (Acts  5 :38-39. ) 

Get  out  the  meal — if  you  see  this  Baptism  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  with  the  Bible  evidence,  speaking  in 
tongues,  in  the  WORD,  with  the  accompanying 
gifts  and  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  believe  God  and 
come  boldly  to  receive  this  Bible  experience  even 
though  every  one  round  about  you  seems  to  be  in 
error  or  falls  below  the  standard. 

INSTEAD  OF  BEING  THE  ONE  WHO  CRIES 
-THERE  18  DEATH  IN  THE  POT/7  BE  AN 
•ELI8HA  WITH  A  SACK  OF  ME  A  L;  receive  YE 
the  Holy  Ghost;  let  God  make  YOU  to  measure 
up  to  the  Word.  All  your  criticising  or  scolding 
or  telling  where  the  trouble  is  or  even  trying  to 
fix  it,  can  never  help.  The  Meal  of  the  Word  will 
alone  avail. 

Pour  out  for  the  people  that  they  may  eat. 
Dear  Avorker,  what  are  you  feeding  your  hungry 
people  on?  Are  you  telling  them  and  repeating 
over,  meeting  after  meeting,  every  story  and  inci- 

612 


"DEATH   IN   THE  POT" 

dent  that  has  come  to  your  knowledge  where 
gourds  have  been  put  into  the  pot?  If  so  you  are 
guilty  and  putting  gourds  of  doubts  and  discour- 
agement in  the  pot  yourself. 

When  you  set  the  table  for  your  guests  that  hun- 
ger all  about  you,  do  not  frighten  people  away  by 
bringing  up  from  your  cellar  the  poorest  potatoes 
or  the  mouldy  preserves,  or  the  mildewed  bread 
from  your  larder— THEY  DO  NOT  WANT  TO 
HEAR  ABOUT  MAN'S  WORST;  THEY  WANT 
TO  HEAR  ABOUT  GOD'S  BEST.  What  are  you 
feeding  your  people  on?  Relating  the  worst  things 
you  ever  heard  of  man  doing  or  the  best  things 
you  ever  heard  of  God  doing?  The  former  makes 
poor  fighting  food — the  latter  makes  firm  spiritual 
muscles  and  makes  strong,  developed,  matured 
nien  and  women  who  grow  quickly  under  such 
teaching  "unto  a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure 
of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ."  (Eph. 
4:13.) 

Remember  that  by  relating  past  wrongs,  etc., 
you  are  as  guilty  as  those  who  committed  them, 
and  are  only  frightening  people  away  by  crying: 
"There's  death  in  the  pot."  Go  bring  the  meal : 
preach  the  Word.  Lift  up  the  pure  standard  and 
God  will  vindicate  and  honor  His  Word. 

Does  it  seem  sometimes  that  you  have  very 
little  to  set  before  the  people  and  do  you  feel  your 
own  lack  and  insufficiency?  Remember  that  the 
servant  felt  it  that  day,  too,  when  he  said: 

(II.  Kings  4:43)  "What,  should  I  set  this  before 
an  hundred  men?"  And  Elisha  said:  "Give  the 
people  that  they  may  eat;  for  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
they  shall  eat,  and  shall  leave  thereof.  80  he  set 
it  before  them,  and  they  did  eat,  and  left  thereof, 
according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord." 

The  Word  of  God  rights  every  wrong,  dispels 
all  darkness,  removes  all  impurities,  settles  all 
misunderstandings,  and  \vhetlier  it  dissolves  or 

613 


THIS  IS  THAT 

eliminates  all  the  gourds  or  just  what  becomes  of 
them  I  cannot  exactly  say,  but  at  any  rate  I  know 
that  after  the  meal  was  cast  into  the  midst 
"THERE  WAS  NO  HARM  IN  THE  POT." 

If  you  have  been  standing  afar  off  in  doubt  and 
are  an  hungered,  hesitate  no  longer  but  bring  your 
meal  with  you  and  come  and  dine,  for  there  is  no 
harm  in  the  pot. 

With  all  the  gourds  (and  indeed  they  are  com- 
paratively few  in  number,  considering  that  this 
movement  has  enveloped  the  entire  globe,  and  into 
it  have  come  streams  of  people  from  every  creed 
and  clime  and  color),  this  great  pot  set  upon  the 
fire,  this  Holy  Spirit  movement  is  the  best  thing 
in  the  world  and  contains  the  best  food  on  earth. 


614 


REJOICE  IN  THE  LORD. 

"Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway:  and  again  I  say,  Rejoice." 
—Phil.  4:4. 

IT  is  the  will  of  the  Lord  that  His  people  should 
praise  Him  and  rejoice  in  Him  at  all  times, 
in  all  places  and  under  all  circumstances,  re- 
joice in  Him  with  a  joy  so  deep,  and  springing 
from  such  an  inexhaustible  fountain-head,  that  it 
is  as  an  artesian  well  that  rises  upward  day  and 
night   unceasingly,    unchanged,  by   summer's   heat 
or  winter's  cold,  sunshine  or  clouds. 

"Rejoice  in  the  Lord  ahray:  and  again  1  say, 
Rejoice.  Pray  without  ceasing,  and  in  everything 
give  thanks.  Let  His  praise  be  continually  in  your 
mouth/'  This  does  not  mean  a  spasmodic  praise, 
here  today  and  gone  tomorrow,  that  shouts  with 
joyous  gladness  when  all  goes  well  and  the  sea  is 
calm,  only  to  fret  and  pine  and  murmur  when  the 
sky  is  o'ercast  with  darkness  and  the  surrounding 
seas  are  lashed  to  foam.  It  is  not  a  joy  that  flows 
only  when  showers  of  blessing  are  falling,  but 
which  flows  even-tempered,  unhindered,  with  a 
stream  of  just  as  great  volume,  its  quantity  and 
quality  unchanged,  when  drouth  and  barrenness  is 
all  about  it, 

WHY  is  this  stream  unchanged  by  circum- 
stances and  outward  change  in  the  elements? 
Why,  because  of  its  source,  of  course,  because  of 
the  fountain-head  from  which  it  flows.  Rejoice 
IN  THE  LORD — not  in  circumstances,  not  in 
blessings  past  or  present,  not  in  money,  not  in 
popularity,  not  in  numbers,  not  in  good  or  evil 
report,  but  rejoice  IN  THE  LORD. 

"Although  the  fig  tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither 
shall  -fruit  be  in  the  vines;  the  labor  of  the  olive 
shall  fail,  and  the  fields  shall  yield  no  meat;  the 
flocks  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there 
shall  be  no  head  in  the  stall:  yet  I  will  rejoice 
in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation." 
Hab.  3 :17,  18. 

615 


THIS  IS  THAT 

?Tis  here,  in  this  land  of  continual,  unmolested 
joy,  'tis  here  by  the  rivers  and  streams  of  God- 
inspired  praises,  that  the  Christian  finds  deepest 
peace,  peace  that  passeth  all  understanding,  peace 
immeasurable  and  fathomless  as  the  billows  of  the 
sea,  peace  that  emanates  from  the  Prince  of  Peace 
Himself. 

ABOVE  CIRCUMSTANCES. 

Kejoice  IN  THE  LORD.  You  will  no  longer 
deal  out  your  joy  or  praise  in  the  stinted  little 
measuring-cup  of  your  own  feelings  or  circum- 
stances. The  words,  "I  do  not  feel  like  it,"  will 
be  eliminated  from  your  vocabulary.  You  will  no 
longer  say:  "I  could  rejoice  if  such  and  such  a 
thing  had  not  happened,'7  or  "I  could  have  re- 
joiced had  not  'so  and  so'  said  such  and  such  a 
thing."  «8o  and  So'7  and  "Such  and  Such"  Avill 
have  nothing  more  to  do  with  your  rejoicing,  for 
your  eyes  have  been  lifted  above  circumstances 
and  surroundings  and  been  riveted  upon  the  Lord. 
He  will  hold  your  eyes  with  adoration  when  He 
stands  revealed  in  His  power  and  beauty  before 
you.  When  there  is  nothing  else  to  rejoice  in— 
you  cannot  rejoice  in  circumstances,  nor  in  earthly 
gain,  and  there  seems  to  be  nothing  in  yourself  or 
life  to  cause  rejoicing,  and  when  you  see  your  ef- 
forts, strivings  and  plans  crumbling  about  you, 
when  you  have  seen  the  King  and  caught  a  vision 
of  your  OAVU  nothingness  and  insufficiency,  and 
have  abhorred  yourself — if  your  eyes  are  fixed  un- 
waveringly upon  the  Lord  and  His  righteousness, 
holiness  and  mercy,  you  will  still  be  able  to  lift 
your  head  and  rejoice  IN  THE  LORD. 

Joy  in  the  night,  joy  in  the  hard  places,  joy  in 
misunderstandings,  Avhen  you  did  your  best  and 
seemed  to  fail,  such  joy  gives  "beauty  for  ashes, 
the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  the  garment  of  praise 
for  the  spirit  of  heaviness."  Well  did  David  knoAV 
the  security  of  this  hiding  place  when  he  said: 

616 


REJOICE  IN  THE  LORD 

"In  the  shadow  of  Thy  icings  will  1  rejoice" 
From  such  a  retreat  one  can  look  out  through  His 
feathers  and  laugh  at  the  futile  attempts .  of  the. 
enemy,  and  rejoice  that  his  life  is  "hid  with  Christ 
in  God." 

CHASTENING,   HARD  PLACES,  AND   OVERCOMERS. 

Has  the  chastening  rod  fallen  upon  you?  Then 
rejoice  IN  THE  LORD,  for  he  whom  He  loveth 
He  doth  rebuke  and  chasten.  Have  you  been 
going  through  testings  and  hard  places  in  your 
home  life,  and  does  it  seem  that  no  shoulders  but 
they  of  the  Master  Himself  e'er  bore  a  cross  so 
heavy  as  that  which  has  been  given  you?  Then 
rejoice  in  the  Lord,  for  He  has  put  you  in  a  place 
wherein  you  may  be  more  than  conqueror,  and  win 
an  overcomer's  crown.  If  you  had  nothing  to  over- 
come, then  how  could  you  ever  be  an  overcomer? 
Never  hath  He  allowed  a  temptation  but  what  He 
hath  provided  a  way  of  escape.  And  have  you 
failed  in  that  home,  in  that  appointed  place,  again 
and  again  until  the  tears  of  discouragement  have 
filled  your  eyes  and  you  have  felt  that  it  was  of  no 
avail?  Have  sharp  \vords  been  spoken,  of  which 
you  have  instantly  repented  with  bitter  tears? 
Then  arise,  Oh  captive  daughter  of  Jerusalem, 
shake  thy  garments  from  the  dust,  lift  up  your 
head  and  your  hands,  and  rejoice  IN  THE  LORD 
who  hath  bidden  you,  "forgetting  those  things 
which  are  behind"  to  press  on  "toward  the  mark 
for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus." 

Put  your  hand  in  His,  plead  the  blood,  and  He 
will  undoubtedly  bring  you  up  again  and  again  to 
that  same  testing  place,  that  same  peculiar  set  of 
circumstances,  until  you  shall  emerge  a  triumph- 
ant victor  and  just  such  a  conqueror  as  He  seeks 
to  reign  with  Him  on  His  throne. 

When  you  have  conquered,  after  many  failures, 
you  will  not  rejoice  in  yourself,  your  own  strength 

617 


THIS  IS  THAT 

or  prowess,  but  will  rejoice  IN  THE  LORD,  with- 
out whom  you  could  have  done  nothing.  The 
harder-  the  battle  the  greater  the  victory,  the 
harder  the  home  life  or  environment,  the  brighter 
the  victor's  crown.  When  reading  of  the  victor, 
the  overcomer,  and  the  conquering  warrior  in  his 
armor  of  steel,  one  naturally  calls  to  mind  an  army 
with  flying  banners  waving  in  the  breeze,  music 
and  cheering.  We  have  longed  and  asked  the  Lord  to 
make  us  overcomers,  but  when  He  has  taken  us  at 
our  word  and  in  order  to  answer  our  prayer  has 
placed  us  just  where  we  are,  in  just  these  circum- 
stances, how  many  times  we  have  failed  to  see  God 
and  realize  that  the  conflict  in  which  we  are  now  en- 
gaged is  but  a  living  answer  to  that  prayer,  is  just 
the  place  and  just  the  conflict  where  God  has  put 
us  and  where  He  wants  us  to  overcome  and  keep 
rejoicing  in  the  Lord. 

Have  you  suffered  earthly  losses  and  bereave^ 
ments?  Have  you  been  stripped  of  that  which 
life  held  most  dear,  in  a  way  that  you  could  not 
understand?  Then  rejoice  IN  THE  LORD,  for 
"the  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  taketh  away,  and 
blessed  is  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

"Yes,  Oh  yes,  He  understands, 
All  His  ways  are  best, 

Hear,  Oh  hear,  He  calls  to  you, 
'Come  to  Me  and  rest.' 

"Leave  the  unknown  future, 

In  the  Master's  hands, 
Whether  sad  or  joyful, 

Jesus  understands." 

BOAST  NOT  OF  THYSELF. 

Has  God  been  blessing  your  labors  and  the  fruit 
of  your  vine?  Has  He  permitted  you  to  be  a  soul- 
winner  for  Him,  and  given  great  results  and  num- 
bers from  the  sowing  of  the  seed  with  which  He 
has  entrusted  you?  Then  rejoice  I-N  T-H-E 

618 


REJOICE  IN  THE  LORD 

L-O-R-D,  not  in  your  own  works  (for  man's  works 
shall  be  burned  up  as  by  fire),  not  in  your  own 
strength  (for  without  Him  we  can  do  nothing), 
not  in  your  own  power  (for  the  Lord  will  not  give 
His  glory  to  another,  and  all  flesh,  even  good  flesh, 
is  but  as  the  grass  of  the  field  that  withereth 
away),  not  in  your  own  righteousness  (for  all  our 
righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags),  but  rejoice1 
in  the  Lord.  He  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  be- 
ginning and  the  end;  in  Him  is  all  righteousness 
and  power,  honor  and  glory. 

Have  you  been  used  in  your  assembly  in  teach- 
ing, in  admonition,  in  leading  souls  to  Christ,  in 
praying  for  the  sick,  in  casting  out  of  demons,  in 
interpretation  or  prophecy,  or  discerning  of  spir- 
its? Do  men  and  women  look  up  to  you  and  speak 
well  of  you?  Rejoice  IN  THE  LORD.  Take 
heed — rejoice  in  the  Lord  alone,  be  careful  to  give 
Him  all  the  glory,  as  did  Peter  when  he  cried : 
"Why  look  ye  so  earnestly  on  us,  as  though  by  our 
own  power  or  holiness  we  had  made  this  man  to 
walk?  Acts  3:12. 

Look  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  said,  "'The  words 
tJuit  I  speak  unto  you  I  speak  not  of  myself;  but' 
the  Father  that  dicelleth  in  Me,  He  doeth  the 
works."  John  14:10.  Many,  O  so  pitifully  many, 
have  lost  out  with  God  and  man,  have  lost  their 
gifts,  lost  their  usefulness,  because  they  rejoiced 
in  themselves  and  in  the  approbation  of  people1 
rather  than  in  the  Lord.  The  joy  of  the  Lord  is 
your  strength ;  take  away  this  joy  and,  like  Samp- 
son of  old,  you  will  be  shorn  of  your  locks,  your 
eyes  put  out  so  that  you  can  no  longer  see  His 
face,  and  you  will  soon  be  bound  with  fetters  of, 
brass  (bondage),  grinding  in  the  prison  house, 
round  and  round,  round  and  round,  the  same  old 
grinding  machine,  all  you  will  have  to  tell,  or  tes- 
tify of  will  be  the  same  old  story  of  healings,  that 
used  to  be  and  the  victories  that  once  were  yours. 

619 


THIS  IS  THAT 
SEEKING  -WITH   REJOICING. 

Would  you  receive  aught  from  the  Lord?  Then 
rejoice  in  Him.  "Let  the  heart  of  them  rejoice 
that  seek  the  Lord/'  I.  Chron.  16:10.  Are  you 
seeking  healing?  Do  not  look  at  symptoms,  or 
rejoice  even  in  the  prayers  of  the  saints  alone, 
but  fix  your  eyes  upon  Him  who  hath  borne  all 
your  sicknesses  in  His  own  body  on  the  tree,  and 
by  whose  stripes  ye  are  healed,  and  rejoice  in  the 
Lord  until  His  life  and  strength  and  joy  flow 
through  every  avenue  and  enter  into  every  fibre  of 
your  being. 

Are  you  seeking  The  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit? 
Then  rejoice  in  the  Lord  who  hath  said :  "Every  one 
tJiat  a$keth  receiveth;  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth; 
arid  to  him  tliat  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened."  Mat. 
7 :8,  and  ttf/io  is  more  willing  to  give  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  them  that  ask  Him  than  earthly  parents  arc  to 
give  good  gifts  to  their  children. 

Yes,  dear  seeker,  enter  in  through  the  gates  of 
praise,  rejoice  in  the  Lord.  Let  your  praise  fill 
every  corner  of  the  room  and  echo  out  into  the 
surrounding  atmosphere  until  it  rings  in  the  high- 
"est  heavens.  Open  your  mouth  wide  and  He  will 
fill  it.  And  when  the  Comforter  has  come,  if  you 
will  let  Him,  He  will  teach  you  to  rejoice  in  the 
Lord  in  a  way  of  which  you  have  never,  dreamed. 

And  this  joy  is  the  privilege  of  every  child  of 
God,  the  joy  of  the  Lord.  Enter  into  your  joy,  and 
into  this  kingdom  which  the  Lord  wants  you  to 
possess,  where  shadows  and  obscuring  clouds  are 
unknown,  and  the  sun  is  never  dimmed.  Fix  your 
eyes  upon  Jesus,  dig  deep  in  humility  till  you 
reach  the  fountain-head,  the  inexhaustible  source 
of  supply,  then  through  the  golden  pipe  of  your 
life,  every  day,  every  hour,  shall  leap  up  a  deep, 
ne'er-changing  stream  of  joy,  a  joy  that  neither 
adversities  nor  trying  circumstances  can  suppress 
or  keep  doAvn,  because  it  is  a  JOY  IN  THE  LORD. 

620 


PRAISING  THE  LORD. 


the  Lord  has  ever  been  to  me  one 
the  most  inspiring  and  exalting  of  themes. 
Oh  !  how  I  love  to  praise  Him  and  hear  Him 
praised. 

It  has  been  my  privilege,  on  several  occasions, 
to  witness,  the  never-to-be-forgotten  scene  of  one 
thousand  saints  standing  on  their  feet  with  up- 
lifted hands,  and  tears  streaming  down  their  radi- 
ant faces,  praising  the  Lord  with  all  their  might 
and  soul  and  voice,  with  one  accord,  till  the  great 
volume  of  thunderous  praises  blended  into  a  sound 
as  of  rushing  mighty  waters  as  it  rolled  majestic- 
ally heavenward.  It  went  up  as  one  voice,  of  one 
people  who  were  one  in  heart  and  adoration  of  the 
Most  High  God  and  His  Glorious  Son,  Jesus 
Christ. 

It  is  when  praising  the  Lord  thus,  as  at  no  other 
time,  my  spirit  catches  the  greatest  revelation—- 
the greatest  vision  of  the  mighty,  omnipotent  King 
of  the  Ages,  high  and  lifted  up.  'Tis.  then  that  the 
very  atmosphere  seems  electric,  charged  with  the 
mighty  power  of  the  great  God,  and  I  catch  the 
sound  of  His  chariot  wheels  leaping  o'er  the  moun- 
tains, ever  coming  nearer  as  His  'saints  continue 
to  adore  Him,  till  I  hear  the  stately  steppings  of 
the  King  in  the  midst  of  His  holy  tabernacle  — 
then,  as  the  cloud  of  glorious  adoration  still  rises 
from  the  hearts  of  the  people,  I  see  Him  robed 
with  Honor,  crowned  with  Glory,  seated  upon  a 
jewelled  throne  of  adoration  which  His  people  have 
builded  for  Him  by  their  praises. 

The  Lord  inhabiteth  the  praises  of  His  people. 
Where  real  praise  is,  there  God  is. 

It  is  impossible  to  over-estimate  the  power,  vic- 
tory, blessing,  healing,  encouragement  and  inspira- 
tion embodied  in  this  wonderful  secret  of  praising 
the  Lord. 

621 


THIS  IS  THAT 
PRAISE    THE   LORD    AT    ALL    TIMES. 

"Oh!  but  you  know  that  I  could  never  put  any- 
thing on,  I  never  could  praise  the  Lord  unless  I 
f-e-e-1  like  it,"  someone  exclaims. 

Unless  you  feel  like  it ! !  Oh !  Is  that  the  gauge 
by  which  you  measure  your  offerings  of  praise? 
Is  that  the  foundation  upon  which  your  Christian 
experience  is  based?  My  dear  Brother,  Sister, 
feelings  are  a  poor  and  a  very  uncertain  guide 
upon  which  to  rely  when  it  comes  to  praising  the 
Lord,  or  any  other  Christian  experience.  Only  one 
man  in  the  Bible  that  I  know  of  went  by  feeling; 
that  was  dear  old  Isaac,  and  you  remember  how  he 
f-e-l-t  the  hands  and  arms  of  Jacob,  his  son,  and 
how  deceived  he  was.  Oh,  dear  hearts,  praise  Him, 

NOT  BECAUSE   YOU    HAPPEN   TO   FEEL   LIKE    IT, 

but  praise  Him  at  "all  times,"  and  let  His  praise 
"be  continually  in  your  mouth," 

BECAUSE    HE    IS    WORTHY. 

Begin  to  praise  Him  whether  you  feel  like  it  or 
not,  and  you  soon  will  feel  like  it.  Why,  it  is  im- 
possible for  me  to  lift  up  my  hands  and  begin  to 
praise  and  adore  my  Master  without  a  downpour 
of  His  blessing  that  is  as  rain  to  the  thirsty  fields 
and  flowers,  or  as  the  anointing-oil  upon  my  head, 
running  down  to  the  borders  of  my  garments. 

"Let  everything  that  hath  breath  praise  the 
Lord."  Why,  according  to  David,  the  only  excuse 
you  have  got  for  not  praising  the  Lord  is  being  out 
of  breath ! 

"Oh,  Sister,  I  praise  Him  in  my  heart.  I  could 
never  shout  aloud  or  be  demonstrative.  It  is  not 
my  make-up  or  disposition." 

Beloved,  when  you  have  put  on  your  beautiful 
garments  of  praise  (for  no  matter  how  homely 
you  may  be  to  the  natural  eye,  you  are  beautiful 
to  the  Lord  when  you  have  put  on  praise  as  a 
garment),  you  are  lifted  above  your  own  "make-up" 

622 


PRAISING  THE  LORD 

and  "disposition"  and  swing  far  out  into  the  realm 
of  the  Spirit.  As  for  praising  the  Lord  in  your 
heart,  why,  your  heart  is  no  different  from  anyone 
else's.  When  it  gets  just  so  full  of  glorious  praises 
and  adoration  and  He  becomes  so  real,  so  fair  as 
to  be  altogether  lovely,  the  chiefest  of  ten  thousand 
to  your  soul,  your  heart  will  run  over  and  you 
will  shout  His  praises,  and  your  voice  will  be 
blended  with  the  voices  of  all  the  other  redeemed 
ones  and  soar  upward  to  the  Lamb  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne. 

I  was  much  impressed  recently,  while  in  New 
York,  by  the  notices  posted  on  the  subway  and 
places,  Avarning  the  people  of  the  severe  penalty 
elevated  trains  and  in  other  prominent  public 
awaiting  anyone  who  should  try  in  any  way  to 
break  the  morale  of  the  soldiers  by  talking  of  pos- 
sible defeat,  or  failure,  or  by  lauding  the  strength 
of  the  enemy.  This  should  be  a  warning  to  Chris- 
tians also. 

DO  NOT  BREAK  THE  MORALE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  ARMY. 

Two  saints  attend  the  same  meeting.  Probably 
you  have  these  two  saints  in  your  assembly  (for 
almost  every  assembly  has  them). 

One  enters  with  a  long  face,  takes  her  seat,  looks 
solemnly  about,  and  if  the  meetings  seems  a  little 
stiff  or  in  need  of  a  blessing,  or  lacking  in  praise, 
or  "tied  up,"  this  dear  one,  meaning  well  enough, 
begins  to  be  burdened  and  sigh,  to  pray  aloud,  or 
exclaim  in  this  manner : 

"Oh,  Lord,  what  is  the  matter  here?  Oh,  there 
is  such  a  binding  spirit,  such  a  power  of  darkness. 
It  seems  as  though  the  room  were  filled  with 
demons.  Lord,  help,"  etc.  Immediately  every 
eye  and  every  thought  is  directed  to  the  devil,  to 
darkness  and  binding  spirits,  and  of  course  (like 
Peter  when  he  got  his  eye  on  the  waves),  when  we 
get  our  eyes  on  the  devil  we  have  them  off  Jesus. 

When  we  advertise  and  meditate  upon  the  great- 

623 


THIS  IS  THAT 

ness  and  strength  of  the  devil,  and  show  fear,  we 
underestimate  the  power  of  the  great  /  AM,  the 
Mighty  Conqueror  who  never  lost  a  battle.  Such 
despondency  and  burdened  agonizing  is  contagious, 
and  soon  everyone  is  moaning  and  crying  and  mis- 
erable, and  it  is  not  until  someone  begins  "seeing 
and  praising  Jesus"  that  the  cloud  lifts. 

The  other  saint  enters  the  same  meeting,  where 
it  seems  that  not  one  breath  of  Heavenly  gales  is 
stirring,  feels  the  same  pressure  upon  the  meeting, 
and  refusing  to  look  at  or  recognize  the  enemy, 
says  : 

"This  is  the  time  to  praise  our  Jesus.  This  is 
the  time  to  see  our  God  arise  and  scatter  His 
enemies.  He  has  told  us  that  he  will  do  great  and 
mighty  things  if  we  will  but  praise  Him,  and  we 
know  that  the  enemy  cannot  lodge  or  abide  in  an 
atmosphere  that  is  filled  with  the  praises  of  the 
Lord."  This  saint  straightway  begins  to  shout : 

"Hallelujah!  We  rejoice  in  Thee!  We  glory  in 
Thy  might,  Oh,  our  King!  Victory  and  honor  ever 
attend  Thy  troops.  Power  and  dominion  envelop 
Thee.  Thy  glory  and  presence  fill  the  heavens  and 
the  earth.  It  fills  my  heart  just  now.  It  over: 
flows  and  fills  the  room.  Why,  glory  to  Jesus! 
Beloved,  the  Lord  is  in  our  midst.  Do  you  not  feel 
Him?  Why,  this  atmosphere  is  just  like  Heaven !" 

Such  faith  and  praise  is  contagious.  The  fire  of 
unwavering  confidence  in  God  that  burns  within 
this  temple  soon  leaps  over  its  parapets,  spreads 
first  to  those  in  the  seats  nearby,  then  on  to  the 
farthest  corner  of  the  room,  inspiring,  encourag- 
ing, lifting  up  drooping  heads,  strengthening  feeble 
knees,  and  in  a  moment  every  eye  is  fixed  on- Jesus, 
His  praises  fill  the  tabernacle,  souls  are  blessed, 
vessels,  are  filled  to  overflowing,  the  Latter  Rain 
is  hearcl  pattering  on  the  roofs,  running  down  the 
troughs,  overflowing  the  rain -barrels,  the  dry 

624 


PHALSIXG  THE  LOW) 

ground  is  saturated  and  the  wilderness  and  the 
desert  places  are  blossoming  as  the  rose! 

What  Avas  the  difference  in  the  two  saints?  The 
one  recognized  and  saw  only  the  power  of  the 
devil,  and  straightway  began  to  bemoan  the  sad 
state  of  affairs,  depressing  everyone  who  listened, 
while  the  other  saw  only  Jesus  in  His  all-conquer- 
ing, invincible  might  and  splendor,  riding  on  to 
sure  and  certain  victory. 

MY   VISION   OF  THE  DEMONS  AND  THE  ANGELS. 

The  Lord  taught  me  a  wonderful  lesson  some- 
time ago,  demonstrating  the  majesty  and  power  of 
praise.  I  was  seated  on  the  rostrum  in  my  tent 
during  the  evening  meeting.  Not  only  was  every 
seat  in  the  big  tabernacle  tilled  and  crowds  stand- 
ing in  the  aisles,  but  all  about  the  outside  of  the 
tent  hundreds  and  hundreds  stood  closely  packed 
together.  It  was  the  early  days  of  the  meeting  and 
conviction  had  not  yet  taken  the  place  of  curiosity. 
Therefore,  as  a  great  many  of  the  onlookers  were 
Roman  Catholics,  and  the  balance  unused  to  any 
demonstration  of  the  power  of  God,  the  very  air 
was  filled  with  unbelief,  skepticism,  scoffing  and 
ridicule.  The  people  would  listen  as  long  as  we 
sang  (or  was  it  because  that  drowned  their  mur- 
murings?)  But  as  soon  as  anyone  endeavored  to 
speak,  the  whisperings  and  the  murmurings  would 
begin  until  another  song  was  started. 

As  I  stood  there  on  the  platform,  with  my  eyes 
closed,  I  saw  the  entire  tent  surrounded  with  great 
black  demons,  with  huge,  bat-like  wings.  Each 
demon  seemed  to  stand  about  ten  feel  tall,  and  as 
they  stood  in  a  circle,  completely  surrounding  the 
tent,  they  were  so  close  together  that  their  wings 
touched,  tip  to  tip.  They  stood  close  to  the  border 
of  the  tent,  and  with  my  eyes  still  closed,  my  heart 
began  to  cry  out : 

"Oh,  Lord,  what  shall  I  do?"    And  He  spoke  to 

625 


THIS  IS  THAT 

me  in  such  a  real  way,  ill  that  calm,  undisturbed 
voice  which  those  who  love  the  Prince  of  Peace 
know  so  well : 

"Just  begin  to  praise  Me.  I  will  do  the  fighting. 
You  do  the  praising."  So  I  began  to  praise  Him. 

"Praise  the  Lord!  The  first  time  I  said  it  I 
noticed  the  demons  seemed  to  tremble. 

"Praise  the  Lord!"  The  second  time  I  shouted 
it.  I  am  sure  my  voice  was  heard  above  every 
other  sound,  and  I  saw  each  demon  take  one  step 
backwards,  away  from  the  tent. 

"Praise  the  Lord!  Praise  the  Lord!!  Praise  the 
Lord!!!-'  Each  time  I  said  "Praise  the  Lord"  the 
demons  took  another  step  backward,  until  I  lost 
all  sight  of  them  in  the  distance. 

"Praise  the  Lord !"  The  next  time  I  said  it  I 
saw  in  the  distance  a  circular  band  of  angels 
standing  around  the  tent. 

"Praise  the  Lord!  P-R-A-I-S-E  T-H-E  L-O-R-D!" 
Each  time  I  praised  Him  they  took  one  step  nearer, 
another  step  nearer,  still  another  step  nearer,  till 
at  last  they  stood  at  the  very  border  of  the  tent, 
such  tall,  wonderful-looking  angels,  with  their 
beautiful  white  wings  spread  so  wide  that  the 
wings  of  each  touched,  tip  to  tip,  the  ones  of  the* 
next  angel  on  the  right  and  on  the  left.  Father 
had  sent  one  of  His  legions  of  angels  to  guard  the 
tent. 

Perhaps  not  another  person  in  the  tent  saw  the 
vision  of  this  great  shining  band  of  angels,  yet 
everyone  inside  and  out  must  have  sensed  the  pres- 
ence of  the  divine,  for  not  only  did  a  great  peace 
steal  over  my  soul,  but  the  whole  audience  was 
hushed.  When  I  opened  my  eyes  I  could  see  only 
the  people  looking  with  rapt  attention,  but  closing 
niy  eyes  again  I  could  see  the  angels  just  as  plainly 
as  I  could  see  the  people. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  I  believe  that 

625 


PRAISING  THE  LORD 

THE  POWER  OF  PRAISE  DRIVES  BACK  THE  ENEMY  AND 
BRINGS  DOWN  THE  BLESSING. 

Jesus  says :  "What  things  soever  you  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them."  Now,  if  we  ask  God  to  give  us  a 
certain  answer  to  prayer,  and  we  then  proceed  to 
believe  we  have  it,  it  is  only  polite  to  begin  to 
thank  Him  for  it,  in  other  words,  shoot  upward 
through  the  prayer  zone  into  the  praise  zone,  and 
thank  God  beforehand  that,  according  to  His  word, 
it  is  done. 

When  contending  with  sickness,  trouble,  misun- 
derstanding, discouragement  or  depression,  begin 
to  see  Jesus.  Praise  Him  with  all  your  heart,  and 
the  upward  flight  of  His  praises  will  lift  you  as 
with  the  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  above  the  woes 
of  this  earth  till  sorrow  and  sighing  are  lost  sight 
of  and  consolation  and  joy  unspeakable  fill  their 
place  as  you  exalt  and  magnify  the  Lamb  for  sin- 
ners slain. 

PRAISING   HIM   IN   THE   FLESH. 

"But  I  do  not  want  to  praise  Him  in  the  flesh," 
says  someone.  Ah,  but  we  walk  no  more  "after 
the  flesh,  'but  after  the  Spirit,"  and  all  this  poor 
flesh  of  mine  is  fit  for  anyway  is  to  praise  Jesus, 
and  if  you  never  do  anything  worse  in  the  flesh 
than  to  praise  the  Lord  you  will  never  be  displeas- 
ing in  His  sight. 

When  the  Comforter  abides  and  has  His  way,  it 
is  so  easy  to  praise  Jesus,  for  "He,  when  He  has 
come,  icill  glorify  Me"  and  "out  of  your  innermost 
l)<'iny  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water" 

BRING  THE  OFFER  OF   FRANKINCENSE. 

You  may  have  but  little  gold  or  silver — a  little 
of  this  world's  goods  to  offer — but  there  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  being  sparing  or  miserly  with  His  praises. 

Heap  up  His  praises  upon  the  glowing  altar  of 
your  soul,  and  pile  His  adoration  a-top  of  that, 

627 


THIS  IS  THAT 

crown  Him  Avith  glory,  laud  and  magnify  His  name 
until  His  burning  praises  rise  in  precious  frankin- 
cense, as  a  sweet-smelling  savor  to  be  caught  in 
the  golden  censer  of  the  angel  who  offers  unto  the 
Lord  much  incense  (praise),  Avith  the  prayers  of 
all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  which  is  before 
the  throne.  Rev.  8 :3. 

IN  TUNE. 

Let  your  heart  be  tuned  up  until  it  shall  be  as 
a  harp  of  a  thousand  strings  swept  Avith  melody  by 
the  fingers  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

If  you  have  hung  your  harp  on  the  willow-tree, 
if  the  rust  of  coldness  or  self  or  formality  has 
formed  upon  the  strings,  or  if  they  are  broken  or 
out  of  tune, 

GO  GET  YOUR  HARP  ! 

Take  it  down  from  the  willows,  clean  away  the 
rust  Avhich  has  gathered  from  long  disuse,  let  the 
Holy  Spirit  tune  up  each  string  until  again  the 
music  Avill  spring  forth  at  His  slightest  touch. 
Remember  it  takes  but  a  slight  jar  to  put  the  most 
costly  harp  out  of  tune;  walk  softly,  dear  heart, 
with  unshod  feet  before  Him. 


628 


THE  FOUR-FOLD  MESSAGE  OF  THE  HOUR— 
(For  Fishers  of  Men). 

SALVATION,  THE  BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT,  SOON 

COMING    OF    JESUS,    AND    THE    PREPARATION 

OF  THE  BRIDE. 

THERE  is  no  time  for  mincing  words  or 
beating  round  the  bush,  or  sugar-coating  the 
Word  of  God  now. 

The  time  for  quick  action  has  come! 

This  is  not  a  time  to  be  indefinite  or  vague,  or 
come  at  the  message  in  a  round-about  way — not  a 
time  to  come  to  the  door  of  a  man  who,  uncon- 
scious of  his  danger,  rocks  in  the  easy  chair  of  his 
drawing  room,  and  say : 

"Fine  day,  Sir." 

"Good  weather  we're  having." 

"Yes,  yes,  prospect  of  good  crops,"  etc. 

"But  the  fact  is,  Sir,  I  come  to  bring  you  a  little 
news — don't  want  to  alarm  you  at  all — hope  you 
will  pardon  my  intrusion  and  taking  the  liberty," 
etc. 

"But  I  fear  you  should  notify  your  household 
and  send  for  assistance,  for — er — a — I  regret  to 
tell  you — but  the  whole  upper  story  of  your  house 
is  on  fire  and  I  fear  'tis  almost  too  late  to  save  it." 

N-O ! !  This  is  a  time  to  ring  the  alarm  with  one 
hand,  batter  upon  the  man's  door  with  the  other, 
and  shout:  "FIRE1  FIRE!!  F-I-R-E!!!" 

So  many  sermons  are  preached,  so  many  articles 
written,  that  when  boiled  right  down  and  analyzed, 
have  not  enough  real  warning  and  invitation  to 
show  the  sinner  his  awful  condition  and  invite  him 
to  the  Saviour's  feet — 

629 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Not  enough  real,  definite  explanation  of  tlu> 
Holy  Spirit,  and  how  to  receive  Him,  and  the  ne- 
cessity for  His  incoming,  to  bring  one  sonl  to  the 
place  of  understanding  or  seeking  for  the  Spirit- 
Not  enough  about  the  soon  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ  for  His  waiting  church,  to  explain  to  that 
soul  how  we  know  He  is  coming,  or  how  to  pre- 
pare to  meet  Him — and  yet — other  themes,  elo- 
quent, educational,  or  studious  as  they  may  be, 
fade  into  insignificance  and  step  aside  before  this 
four-fold  message  of  the  hour. 

The  consecrated  soul  who  can  preach  simple, 
plain,  old-fashioned  Salvation,  according  to  John 
3:16. 

The  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  according  to 
Acts  2 :4. 

The  Coming  of  our  Lord,  according  to  Matt.  24, 
I.  Thess.  4:16. 

And  the  Preparation  of  the  Bride,  according  to 
I.  Thess.  5,  becomes  at  once  (in  the  closing  hour 
of  the  Church's  stay  upon  earth)  a  man  or  a 
woman  with  a  message. 

It  is  one  thing  to  write,  and  write,  and  write,  or 
to  talk,  and  talk,  and  talk — most  admirably  and 
interestingly,  we  grant  you,  but  it  is  quite  another 
thing  in  writing  or  preaching  to  be  a  man  or  a 
woman  with  a  real  message  for  this  hour. 

Take  down  the  double-barreled  Word  of  God- 
take  a  deliberate  aim,  and  fire  straight  at  a  given 
mark,  with  a  message  so  simple  that,  had  the  sin- 
ner (who  comes  within  the  reach  of  your  words) 
never  heard  of  the  love,  sacrifice,  and  precious 
blood  of  Jesus,  or  of  his  own  dire  need  of  a 
Saviour,  he  would  know  it  e'ej*  you  got  through— 

A  message  so  plain  that  had  the  believer  in  your 
midst,  like  those  at  Ephesus  of  old,  never  heard  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  there  would  be  enough  real  definite 
information  in  your  words  to  let  that  seeker  know 
of  how  our  Lord,  ascending  to  His  Father,  poured 

630 


THE  FOUR-FOLD  MESSAGE  OF  THE  HOUR 

out  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  when  He  is 
come,  convicts  the  sinner  of  his  sin,  bears  witness 
with  the  newrly  born-again,  blood-washed  soul  that 
the  work  is  done,  baptizes  believers  with  the  Holy 
Spirit,  speaking-  through  them  Avith  other  tongues, 
according  to  Acts  2 :4,  and  is  the  lifting  power 
which  will  quicken  these  mortal  bodies  when  Jesus 
comes — 

So  plain  and  scriptural  that  your  uninformed 
reader  or  hearer,  who  never  before  had  heard  the 
message  of  the  soon  coming  of  the  Lord  for  His 
waiting  church,  would  have  heard,  before  your 
words  had  ceased,  what  these  awful  things  that  are 
coming  upon  the  earth  in  these  last  days  mean- 
that  you  believe  Jesus  is  coming  soon — your  scrip- 
tural ground  for  such  a  belief,  and  the  signs  of  the 
times,  linked  up  with  the  signs  of  the  Word  of  God, 
which  confirm  your  assertion  that  He  is  coming 
BOON. 

He  would  hear,  also,  of  the  necessity  of  getting 
ready  to  meet  this  Jesus  in  the  air,  what  the  prep- 
aration of  the  Bride  means,  and  how  it  is  brought 
about. 

Oh  Ye  Bride  of  the  Lord— 

Ye  Translation  Company— 

Ye  who  Love  His  Appearing — poised  on  one  foot, 
ready  for  instant  flight,  your  trumpet  in  your  hand 
for  one  last  warning  note  to  a  lost  world  e'er  you 
depart — what  will  your  message  be? 

Will  you  come  at  the  real  truth  in  a  long,  round- 
about, polite,  apologetic  Avay,  talking  of  non-essen- 
tials in  these  last  moments?  Or  will  you  shout 
aloud  in  explicit,  clear,  definite,  concise  words, 
this  four-fold  message  of  the  hour? 

SALVATION. 

In  order  to  make  the  message  of  Salvation  so 
clear  and  plain  that  a  wayfaring  man,  though  a 
fool,  cannot  err  therein,  there  are  a  few  definite, 

631 


THIS  IS  THAT 

scriptural  facts  that  will  have  to  be  explained  to 
him. 

1.  What  sin  is  and  God's  attitude  towards  it. 

2.  How  it  came  about  that  all  were  born  in  sin 
and    shapen    in    iniquity,    and    therefore    need    a 
Saviour. 

3.  Just  what  Salvation  is;  how  it  is  wrought; 
how  to  be  saved;  how  to  keep  saved  and  what  Sal- 
vation will  do  for  him. 

THE  BAPTISM  OP  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

In  order  to  convey  a  clear,  definite  conception 
of  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  a  believer, 
and  create  a  faith  and  hunger  in  his  heart  for  this 
experience,  it  is  necessary  to  explain  clearly  the 
"what  saith  the  Scriptures"  upon  this  subject : 

1.  Who  the  Holy  Spirit  is,  and  Avhat  His  Office 
Work  is  to  the  Sinner,  to  the  Believer,  to  the  bap- 
tized, preparing  Bride. 

2.  What  the  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is;  how 
it  was  received  in  Bible  days,  and  how  the  believer 
of  today  may  know  when   he   receives   the   Holy 
Spirit. 

3.  What  is  the  benefit  and  necessity  of  receiv- 
ing the  Holy  Spirit?     What  does  He  do  for  the 
soul  in  which  He  has  taken  His  abode,  and  whom 
He  has  made  His  temple? 

THE    COMING   OP   THE   LORD. 

It  is  not  enough  merely  to  make  the  statement 
that  Jesus  is  coming  soon,  and  tell  the  hearer  to 
get  ready  to  meet  Him.  If  you  would  convince 
and  electrify  the  unprepared  soul  into  action — 

Be  DEFINITE,  be  EXPLICJT- 

Tell  him  the  true  facts  of — 

1.  What  are  your  scriptural  grounds  for  mak- 
ing the  statement  that  Jesus  is  literally  coining 
back   to   this   earth    in    clouds    of   glory   for   His 
people? 

2.  How  do  you  know  He  is  coming  soon?  What 

632 


THE  FOUR-FOLD  MESSAGE  OF  THE  HOUR 

are  the  signs  of  His  appearing?     And   which  of 
these  signs  have  been  already  fulfilled? 

3.  What  will  happen  when  and  after  He  does 
come? 

THE    PREPARATION    OF    THE    BRIDE. 

In  admonishing  those  about  you  to  prepare  for 
the  coining  of  the  Lord  there  is  also  a  great  need 
for  the  clear,  unmistakable  directions,  given  in 
the  Word,  to  be  demonstrated. 

1.  Who  will   rise  to  meet  the  Lord   when   He 
comes? — Everyone  that  professes?    The  hypocrite? 
Faultfinder  and  backbiter?     Everyone  that  claims 
to  be  filled  with   the   Spirit?     NO??     Then   who 
will  go? 

2.  Whom   did   the   Lord   send   down    into   this 
world    (John    16:13,    14)    to   prepare   the    Bride? 
And  of  what  does  that  preparation  consist? 

3.  What  must  be  the  life,  conversation,  daily 
walk,  clothing,  attitude,  etc.,  of  the  Bride? 

Beloved,  this  Four-Fold  Message  should  bait  the 
hook  of  every  fisher  of  men ;  it  should  load  the  gun 
of  every  hunter  who  would  bring  back  precious  souls 
for  Jesus. 

Time  is  passing — the  last  hours  with  their  gold- 
en opportunities  are  slipping  by.  Soon  our  Sav- 
iour will  appear.  If  you  would  have  souls  with 
which  to  greet  Him,  golden  sheaves  to  lay  at  His 
feet,  be  DEFINITE,  be  ZEALOUS,  be  INSTANT 
IN  SEASON  AND  OUT  OF  SEASON.  Whether 
you  in  your  corner  are  called  upon  to  write  or 
preach  or  just  to  give  a  plain  testimony  to  those 
about  you,  don't  ramble  vaguely  here  and  there, 
but  for  Jesus'  dear  sake,  and  the  sake  of  lost  souls 
all  about  you,  be  definite  and  clear,  and  lift  the  light 
embodied  in  this  Four-Fold  Message  of  the  Hour. 


633 


Part  IV 

Visions,  Prophecies,  Messages 
in  Tongues  and  Interpretation 

Given  by  Sister  McPherson 


EXPLANATORY  NOTE 

God,   in   speaking   through   the   prophet   Joel,    says: 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward,  that  I  will  pour  out 
my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy.  And  also  upon  the  servants  and  upon  the  handmaids 
will  I  pour  out  my  Spirit."  (Joel  2-28,  29.)  The  gifts  of  the 
Spirit  are  being  restored  to  the  church  and  amongst  their  number 
is  the  gift  of  prophecy  and  also  that  of  tongues  and  interpre- 
tation. (I  Cor.  12.) 

It  is  as  a  direct  result  of  the  restoration  of  these  gifts 
and  operations  of  the  Spirit  that  the  following  messages  and 
visions  are  recorded.  Sister  McPherson  claims  no  authorship,  as 
when  these  messages  were  spoken  through  her,  she  was  completely 
under  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  her  tongue  and  voice 
were  controlled  by  the  Spirit  as  though  speaking  in  tongues,  only 
that  they  came  in  English.  Those  who  were  present  copied  down 
the  messages  word  for  word  as  spoken. 

Regarding  Interpretation,  see  I  Cor.  14:13,  27.  "Wherefore 
let  him  that  speaketh  in  an  unknown  tongue,  pray  that  he  may 
interpret.  If  any  man  speak  in  an  unknown  tongue,  let  it  be 
by  two,  or  at  the  most  by  three,  and  that  by  course;  and  let 
one  interpret." 

Poetry  or  Blank  Prose  was  given  in  Prophetic  song  in  tongues 
and  interpretation. 

"And  the  same  man  had  four  daughters,  virgins,  which  did 
prophesy."  Acts  21-9. 

"Then  Jeremiah  called  unto  Baruch — and  Baruch  wrote  from 
the  mouth  of  Jeremiah,  all  the  words  of  the  lord,  which  He  had 
spoken  unto  him,  upon  a  roll  of  a  book."  Jer.  36-4. 


The  Former  and  Latter  Rain 

Tune— "Brighten  the  Corner  Where  You  Are" 

It  was  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  so  long  ago, 

Christ  the  Holy  Spirit  did  bestow; 

It  was  with  the  mighty  rushing  wind,  and  tongues  of  flame, 

First  fell  the  promised  former  rain. 

CHORUS— 

Lift  thine  eyes,  and  behold  the  latter  rain,  . 
Falling  today  to  ripen  up  the  grain; 
Jesus  is  coming  soon  and  with  Him  we  shall  reign, 
Jesus  is  coming  soon  again. 

It  was  after  Jesus  from  death's  lonely  tomb  arose, 
Rose  triumphant,  victor  o'er  His  foes; 
He  ascended  up  unto  His  Father's  throne  again, 
And  poured  out  this  glorious  former  rain. 

Then  with  mighty  power  and  holy  boldness  did  they  go, 
Precious  seed  of  Jesus  Christ  to  sow; 

Sick  were  healed,  lame  men  leaped,  danced,  and  walked  again 
When  fell  that  glorious  former  rain. 

Now  the  great  and  mighty  harvest  day  is  drawing  nigh, 
And  the  Lord  is  pouring  from  on  high 
Pentecostal  showers  to  ripen  up  the  golden  grain. 
Have  you  felt  this  glorious  latter  rain? 

Still  today  on  hungry,  blood  washed  saints  the  Spirit  falls, 
And  to  you  the  loving  Savior  calls, 

Just  look  up  in  simple,  childlike  faith,  and  in  My  Name, 
Receive  this  glorious  latter  rain. 

O  the  joy  of  those  endued  with  power  from  on  high, 
As  we  see  our  Saviour  draweth  nigh. 

When  the  Spirit  comes,  we  speak  in  other  tongues  again, 
Have   you   received   this   latter   rain? 


637 


KHAPSODY  OF  PRAISE 
At  Mt.  Forest,  Out.,  Can.,' August,  1915. 

Shout  aloud,  my  soul,  and  sing 
Joyous  praises  to  my  King; 
Just  and  holy  is  His  Name, 
Shout,' my  soul,  and  sing  His  fame. 
Now  my  longing,  weary  eyes, 
Wistfully  do  search  the  skies, 
Looking  for  my  Lord  and  King, 
While  my  raptured  heart  doth  sing. 

To  whom  shall  I  compare  my  Love. 
Who  fills  my  heart  from  Heaven  above? 
Shout,  my  soul,  and  sing  His  praise, 
All  throughout  eternal  days. 
Fair  to  look  upon  is  He 
Who  from  sin  hath  set  me  free, 
Pure  and  spotless,  kind  and  true, 
And,  my  friend,  He  calleth  you. 

Soon  He's  coming  back  again 
To  call  His  own  with  Him  to  reign. 
Shout,  my  soul,  hold  not  thy  peace 
Till  thy  bonds  He  shall  release, 
Till  I  fall  before  His  feet, 
And  my  rapture  is  complete; 
And  there,  beside  the  glassy  sea, 
I'll  live  with  Him  eternally. 


638 


THE  MEETING  IN  THE  AIR. 
To  whom  shall  I  compare  my  Love 
Who  came  from  Heaven  above? 
Who  sent  the  blessed  Heavenly  Dove, 
Revealing  Jesus'  holy  love. 

Chorus : 

To  whom  shall  I  my  Love  compare, 
The  Fairest  of  the  fair; 
Soon  I  His  Glory '11  share, 
In  the  meeting  in  the  air. 

To  whom  shall  I  compare  God's  Sou, 
Glorious  as  the  noonday  sun, 
Who  bowed  His  head  and  cried  "  'Tis  done," 
And  final  Victory  won. 

To  what  shall  I  compare  His  might, 
As  clad  in  Robes  of  light, 
He  rides  victorious  in  the  fight, 
Dispelling  gloom  and  darkest  night. 

To  what  shall  I  compare  thine  arm, 
Laid  bare  'gainst  sin's  alarm. 
To  guard  His  people  from  all  harm, 
With  its  might  their  souls  to  charm. 


SONG  OF  PRAISE  AND  WORSHIP. 
Who  is  this  clad  in  the  splendor  of  the  Sun? 
It  is  Jesus,  the  Holy  One. 
The  Rainbow  of  Peace  is  under  His  feet, 
And  in  Him  the  Godhead — Power  complete. 

Hark  the  tread  of  a  thousand  feet, 
Gathering  before  the  mercy  seat; 
Prostrate  before  Him  there  they  fall, 
Proclaiming  Him  King  and  Lord  of  all. 

Lo,  He  conies  enveloped  in  Glory's  thick  cloud, 

Mystery  and  splendor  His  visage  shroud. 

One  foot  on  the  sea,  and  one  on  the  land, 

He  stands  with  the  world  in  the  palm  of  His  hand. 

639 


AWAKE,  O  EARTH !  JESUS  18  COMING 
SOON. 

AWAKE,  O  earth!  Arise  thou  that  slumber- 
eth !  Let  the  eyes  of  the  blind  be  opened,  let 
the  deaf  ears  be  unstopped.     Come  forth 
from  the  grave,  O  thou  who  are  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins.     Weep  and  howl,  O  thou  reveler  at  thy 
banqueting  hall,  for  thy  day  of  destruction  is  at 
hand.    Lo !  the  voice  of  thy  laughter  shall  be  turned 
into   wailing.      Thy   dazzling   garments   of   shame 
shall  be  removed. 

Behold  destruction  cometh  upon  the  earth,  and 
the  hand  of  Jehovah  is  heavy  upon  it.  Hearken ! 
the  sea  groaneth,  travailing  for  the  pain  which 
shall  shortly  come  upon  thee,  O  thou  wicked 
nation,  which  hath  forgotten  thy  God.  Yea,  the 
mountains  from  their  snow-capped  summits,  weep 
tears  for  the  destruction  and  the  curse  of  an  angry 
God,  that  shall  descend  upon  thee  as  the  lightning 
from  a  darkened  sky.  The  stars  in  the  heavens 
hide  their  faces  before  the  vials  of  wrath  that  shall 
be  poured  upon  thee. 

O  thou  nations,  thou  art  bathed  in  iniquity. 
Yea,  O  earth,  thou  art  drunken  Avith  the  wine  of 
thine  own  iniquity,  and  with  the  blood  of  thy  fel- 
low men.  Awake  and  howl  and  lament  aloud,  for 
the  day  of  judgment  is  near  at  hand.  The  sword 
of  Jehovah  hangeth  over  thy  head.  Misery,  devas- 
tation and  death  shall  be  fulfilled.  The  earth  shall 
rock  and  tremble  with  fear  before  the  approach  of 
the  mighty  tread  of  an  angry  God.  The  moun- 
tains shall  melt  with  fire  before  the  thunder  of 
His  voice  of  wrath.  The  time  of  reckoning  has 
come. 

In  love,  in  mercy  unbounded  as  the  infinity  of 
space,  did  I  shed  my  blood  for  thee  that  thou 
mightest  be  saved,  but  thou  wouldst  not.  This 
day  shall  thy  blood  be  shed,  yea,  it  shall  cover 
the  fields.  Thy  garments  shall  be  saturated  and 

640 


AWAKE,  o  EARTH!  JESUS  is  COMING  SOON 

heaped  with  the  blood  of  the  nations,  who  have 
spurned  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Lo,  the  sky  has  dark- 
ened. The  heavens  are  overcast  with  the  darkness 
of  the  frown  of  God.  O  thou  wicked  nation,  thou 
shalt  surely  die.  The  way  of  escape  is  cut  off. 
Where  is  thy  hiding  place?  Or  whither  shalt  thou 
flee  from  the  Avrath  of  thy  Creator?  In  life  thou 
shalt  find  no  hiding  place.  Yea,  even  though  thou 
seekest  rest  in  death,  thou  shalt  not  find  it. 

The  hand  of  Jehovah  is  upon  thee,  O  land ; 

The  hand  that  was  wounded  for  thee ; 

The  hand  that  has  been  outstretched  in  love, 
pleading  before  thee  all  the  days  of  thy  life; 

The  hand  upon  which  I  would  have  engraved 
thy  name; 

The  hand  that  would  have  upheld  thee  in  weak- 
ness, and  guided  thee  over  the  rough  and  darkened 
places ; 

The  hand  that  would  have  caught  thee  up  and 
thrust  thee  into  realms  above. 

The  hand  which  thou  hast  scorned  and  spurned 
and  spit  upon, 

This  hand,  O  nation,  have  I  now  turned  against 
thee  in  wrath  and  anger. 

Thine  eyes  are  blinded  that  they  cannot  see. 
Thine  ears  are  stopped  that  they  cannot  hear. 
Through  the  night  of  gloom  and  sorrow  peals  a 
sweet  voice  of  love;  for  a  short  moment  shall  I 
spare  it  to  thee,  if  perchance  that  thou  mightest 
listen.  An  open  DOOR  have  I  set  before  thee,  but 
now  the  door  that  is  gently  and  surely  closing  is 
still  before  thee,  lest  perchance  the  feet  which  are 
hastening  to  shed  blood  should  turn  to  enter  before 
it  is  closed  forever,  and  the  gate  of  mercy  which 
has  swung  wide  before  thee  all  thy  days,  shall  soon 
be  closed.  That  voice  shall  soon  be  hushed  and 
heard  no  more.  The  door  shall  soon  be  closed  and 
no  man  shall  open  it  thereafter.  The  open  portals 
shall  soon  be  locked  forever,  and  none  shall  enter 
therein. 

641 


THIS  IS  THAT 

O  foolish  nation,  thou  who  hast  chosen  the  pleas- 
ures of  this  world,  when  I  have  pleaded  with  thee 
to  flee  from  destruction,  to  hasten  from  the  valley 
of  death,  to  flee  to  the  arms  of  refuge,  to  hide  in 
the  rock  that  is  higher  than  thou,  to  flee  as  a  man 
pursued  by  sudden  death,  thou  wouldst  not 
hearken.  Thou  sat  thee  down  in  thy  gilded  ban- 
queting hall,  and  became  drunken  with  the  wine 
of  the  devil's  pleasures  and  inducements,  and  went 
into  slumber. 

Lo !  the  heavens  are  filled  with  the  displeasure 
of  thy  God.  Verily  the  heavens  which  today  are 
filled  with  clouds  of  richest  blessing  ready  to  drop 
milk  and  honey,  wine  and  manna  upon  the  seeking 
soul,  tomorrow  shall  rain  forth  with  wrath  and 
displeasure,  the  fire  and  brimstone  of  a  just  and 
avenging  God. 

Awake!  O  thou  that  sleepest.  Cast  aside  thy 
garments,  O  thou  drunkard !  Flee  into  the  haven 
of  rest,  O  thou  of  the  bloody  sword.  Make  haste 
to  pass  through  the  door  before  it  is  too  late.  Al- 
though the  day  of  God's  mercy  is  almost  gone,  it 
is  not  yet  too  late. 

THE    NIGHT   IS    UPON    THEE. 

Destruction  pursueth  thee  diligently.  The  light- 
ning of  God's  wrath  shall  smite  thee.  All  thy 
labors  and  works  shall  vanish  away,  and  fade  as 
a  flower.  Thy  greatest  creation  shall  I  crumble 
as  dust  in  my  hand.  Too  late  shalt  thine  eyes  be 
opened.  Too  late  shalt  thine  ears  listen  for  my 
voice.  Too  late  shalt  thy  feet  search  for  the  nar- 
row path.  Too  late  shalt  thou  knock  at  the  gate 
which  is  barred  forever.  Too  late  shalt  thou  listen 
for  the  voice  of  thy  God  in  heaven.  Thou  hast  not 
heeded  the  voice  of  my  servant  which  called  thee, 
now  will  I  refuse  to  listen  to  thy  voice  that  calleth 
me. 

Nay,  though  thou  fliest  from  coast  to  coast,  with 
the  speed  of  an  eagle,  in  search  of  the  Avord  of 

642 


AWAKE,  0  EARTH  !  JESUS  IS  COMING  SOON 

mercy,  thou  slialt  not  find  it  there.  Yea,  though 
thou  search  diligently  from  shore  to  shore,  thou 
shalt  not  find  the  narrow  way,  which  today  thou 
despiseth.  One  short  season  more  have  I  spared 
thee.  KEPENT!  KEPENT!!  REPENT!!!  O, 
thou  who  hast  shunned  and  forgotten  thy  God. 

REJOICE,  O  THOU  WATCHER  IN  THE  NIGHT. 

Be  glad,  O  thou  of  the  weeping  eye. 

Sing  aloud,  O  thou  who  hast  travailed  in  Spirit. 

Dance  and  sing,  O  thou  redeemed  of  the  King. 

Thy  day  of  sorrow  is  ending. 

Thy  eternity  of  joy  is  dawning. 

The  night  has  been  long,  but  the  morning  cometh. 

Thy  path  has  been  strewn  with  thorns,  but  lo! 

I  have  prepared  for  thy  feet  paths  of  purest  gold. 

The  valley  has  been  dark,  but  lo! 

I  come  to  take  thee  where  darkness  shall  never  enter. 

In  sackcloth  and  humility  thou  hast  bowed 
before  me.  In  radiant  robes  of  light  will  I  trans- 
port thee.  Yea,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  shall 
I  change  thee.  Lift  up  thine  eyes,  let  them  be  cast 
down  no  more.  Lift  up  thy  voice,  let  it  be  heard 
from  shore  to  shore.  Lift  up  Holy  Hands,  for  lo! 
thy  days  of  sorrow  are  ending. 

Lo!  the  King  calleth  for  thee!.  Slumber  not, 
neither  let  thine  eyes  grow  heavy,  for  lo !  He  com- 
eth in  an  hour  when  ye  think  not.  BEHOLD  HE 
COMETH!  Yea,  when  darkness  covereth  the 
earth  as  a  mantle,  when  wailing,  bereavement  and 
sorrow  shall  be  heard  in  every  land,  then  shall  the 
Son  of  Man  appear,  and  gathering  thee  quickly 
together,  all  ye  who  are  ready  and  watching,  He 
will  draw  thee  unto  himself.  The  open  gate  shall 
close  forever.  Doom  and  destruction  shall  settle 
down  upon  the  earth;  but  unto  thee  shall  I  show 
the  glory  of  the  home  I  have  prepared  for  thee. 

Be  watchful!  Be  vigilant!  Be  careful!  Slum- 
ber not !  For  lo !  I  come  quickly. 

643 


THE  VOICE  OF  THE  LORD  TO  THE 
NATIONS  AND  TO  THE  SAINTS. 

PROPHECY — TO  THE  NATIONS. 

HEARKEN  to  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  ye  na- 
tions !     Hearken !     Give  ear,  O  ye  lands ! 
Lift  up  your  eyes,  O  ye  people,  BEHOLD 
OF  THE  LORD,  for  it  is  seething  with  the  wrath 
of  His  indignation.  O  the  seething,  boiling  cauldron 
of  His  wrath!     Who  hath  considered?     Who  hath 
understood?    He  upholds  it  by  His  hand,  the  fires 
of  His  fury  are  kindled  underneath  it.     All  the 
nations  that  have  forgotten  God  must  be  thrown 
into  the  pot, 

His  hands  are  turned  against  thee,  O  wicked 
nations;  HIS  HANDS —  loving  hands,  tender 
hands,  pierced  hands.  His  hands  are  turned 
against  thee  at  last.  O,  His  hands.  They  are  now 
stern  hands,  strong  hands,  avenging  hands,  pun- 
ishing hands.  His  hands  are  upon  thee,  O  earth, 
in  judgment.  AVho  can  hide  from  His  hands? 
Who  can  conceal  themselves  from  His  searching 
gaze?  Though  thou  hidest  in  the  depths  of  the 
ocean,  His  arm  shall  reach  thee  and  bring  thee 
back  to  judgment.  Though  thou  sittest  upon 
the  throne,  and  thy  seat  is  among  the  haughty; 
though  thou  buildest  thy  nest  in  the  mountain's  top 
with  the  eagles;  though  thou  gayest  I  am  high,  and 
none  shall  bring  me  IOAV  ;  though  thou  sayest  I  am 
secure  and  none  shall  make  me  fall;  HIS  HAND 
SHALL  LAY  THE  MH1HTY  LOW. 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen,  and  the  wicked 
brought  to  judgment !  All  shall  taste  of  the  cup 
of  His  fury,  and  enter  the  cauldron,  the  seething 
pot  of  His  wrath.  The  king  on  his  throne,  the 
peasant  in  the  field,  the  judge  on  his  seat,  the 
prisoner  at  the  bar,  the  rulers  of  the  lands,  and 
the  poor  man  in  his  shop,  and  all  they  that  have 
forgotten  God,  shall  enter  the  cauldron  of  His  fury. 

644 


THE   VOICE  OF   THE  LORD   TO  THE   NATIONS,   ETC. 

The  eagle  fighting  the  bull,  both  shall  be  cast  into 
the  pot  together.  The  eagle  with  her  brood;  the 
lion  with  her  whelps;  the  unicorn  in  his  power; 
the  beaver  in  his  home ;  the  bear  shall  be  thrown  in 
by  His  hands;  the  dragon  that  seeks  to  run  away 
shall  be  gathered  into  His  hands  and  cast  alive 
into  the  cauldron.  And  you,  O  land  of  the  eagle 
spread  wings,  must  taste  and  drink  and  enter. 
All  these,  the  lion,  the  unicorn,  the  two  eagles,  fight- 
ing in  the  field,  the  beaver,  the  bear,  the  dragon,  the 
crescent  and  the  star  all  must  drink,  all  must  be 
broken  and  cast  down  and  melted  and  ended. 

Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  the  Lamb — the  white 
Lamb,  the  meek  Lamb,  the  slain  Lamb — be  estab- 
lished. Then  shall  the  lion  and  the  lamb  lie  .down 
together.  Thou  hast  refused  Him  in  the  form  of 
the  Lamb,  the  slain  Lamb,  but  NOW  thou  wilt 
receive  Him  in  the  form  of  a  lion.  He  shall  rend 
thee  with  His  teeth,  and  devour  thee  with  His 
fury.  He  sought  to  conquer  thee  when  He  came 
as  a  Lamb,  now  He  will  conquer  thee  as  the  lion 
of  Judah  that  knows  110  defeat.  All  nations  shall 
bow  their  knee  and  admit  that  He  is  Lord,  when 
He  is  conqueror.  Then  shall  the  lion  and  the  lamb 
lie  down  in  peace  together. 

O  thoughtless  people!  O  foolish  lands,  why  hast 
thou  not  considered?  Open  thine  eyes,  behold  the 
wine  press  of  the  Lord.  He  treadeth  His  wine 
press  in  fury.  The  clusters  are  gathered  from 
the  vine,  the  clusters  from  the  vine  are  the  nations, 
they  are  cast  together  into  the  wine  press  of  His 
wrath.  He  has  risen  up  to  judge  the  world,  the 
prince  of  this  world  is  judged. 

Who  shall  stay  His  step?  Who  shall  cause  Him 
to  withdraw  His  hand?  His  love  have  you  re- 
jected, His  kindness  have  you  spurned.  He  would 
have  covered  you  with  His  mercy  and  His  forgiv- 
ing love,  but  you  Avould  not.  But  now  He  shall 
cover  you  with  judgment,  as  the  waters  cover  the 

645 


THIS  IS  THAT 

sea.    O  think  not  that  He  shall  stay  His  step,  His 
wine  press  is  not  yet  full. 

All  nations  shall  enter,  and  be  judged,  and 
tried,  and  broken.  They  refused  His  broken  body 
and  shed  blood,  now  their  bodies  shall  be  broken 
and  their  blood  shed.  He  would  have  taken  your 
place  but  ye  would  not.  Hear  the  sound,  the 
rumbling  of  the  earthquakes  and  the  overflowing* 
of  the  volcanoes;  blood  and  fire  and  vapor  of 
smoke.  Like  thunder  of  the  cannon,  His  voice 
shall  thunder  before  His  army,  and  when  the  hills 
are  laid  low  and  the  mountains  overturned  by  the 
root  and  the  hidden  things  revealed,  the  high  laid 
low,  and  the  haughty  in  the  dust  and  all  nations 
brought  low,  then  shall  the  King  come  forth  in 
His  beauty,  with  a  conquering  tread  and  a  marshal 
step,  clad  in  glory  and  power. 

TO  THE  SAINTS. 

His  kingly  garments  are  upon  Him,  His  scepter 
is  in  His  hand.  His  crown  is  on  His  head;  the 
government  is  upon  His  shoulders;  His  face  is 
most  fair.  In  Him  is  light  and  truth  and  beauty. 
O,  the  reins  are  in  His  hands,  He  shall  drive  aright. 
The  sun  shall  withdraw  his  shining,  and  the  moon 
shall  not  need  to  shine  by  night,  for  He  is  the  light 
of  the  world  and  in  Him  is  no  darkness  at  all. 
We  are  now  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the 
Lamb  is  the  light  thereof.  A  spiritual  house  of 
the  Lord,  O  building  most  precious,  I  have  gath- 
ered my  stones  from  the  quarry,  I  have  cut  them 
and  chiseled  them,  but  O,  little  people,  I  want 
cement  to  bind  my  people  together. 

I  must  have  sand,  I  must  have  water,  I  must 
have  love.  Sand  is  made  out  of  stone  ground  to 
powder  and  sifted  most  fine.  As  I  put  the  stones 
into  the  crusher,  one  must  crush  the  other. 
There  is  a  creaking,  a  rumbling,  and  groaning; 
but  IF  YOU  WILL  HOLD  STEADY  IN  MY 
HANDS  I  WILL  USE  ONE  STONE  TO  CRUSH 

646 


THE   VOICE  OF   THE   LORD   TO   THE   NATIONS,   ETC. 

AND  GRIND  ANOTHER.  You  may  not  love 
each  other  at  the  time,  but  O  be  patient  with  my 
dealings.  After  I  have  ground  thee  and  sifted 
thee  fine,  you  will  all  come  together  as  fine  sand. 
I  Avill  mix  you  with  the  water  of  salvation.  I  am 
the  water.  O,  why  can  ye  not  understand  my 
plan?  I  cannot  use  big  stones  or  even  pebbles  in 
cement;  only  that  which  will  pass  through  the 
sieve.  I  shall  have  a  people  as  numberless  as  the 
sands  of  the  sea  shore.  O,  I  Avant  cement,  I  will 
have  cement.  A  PEOPLE  CEMENTED  TO- 
GETHER IN  LOVE.  I  will  put  together  my  spir- 
itual house  quickly,  when  I  can  get  cement  of 
love  to  bind  my  lively  stones  together,  saith  the 
Lord  of  Hosts.  Masons  do  not  use  a  hammer  to 
lay  cement.  There  shall  be  no  sound  of  hammer  to 
lay  cement  when  I  complete  my  temple. 

Behold  I  come  quickly!  O  let  the  murmurers 
murmur  no  longer.  Let  the  groaning  ones  groan 
no  longer,  for  soon  I  will  come,  for  my  temple  is 
almost  complete.  O  submit  to  my  will.  With  mine 
own  hands  I  have  digged  thee  from  my  quarry.  I 
have  shaped  thee  and  chiseled  thee;  but  if  thou 
wilt  not  submit  to  my  hands  I  must  lay  thee  aside 
in  spite  of  my  love  for  thee  and  take  another  who 
will  let  me  have  my  way;  even  as  I  laid  the  Jews 
aside,  and  chose  the  Gentiles,  for  the  time  is  short 
and  I  come  quickly.  I  will  have  a  perfect  house, 
my  love.  HOLD  FAST  THAT  WHICH  THOU 
HAST  that  no  man  take  thy  crown.  The  number 
is  fixed,  and  if  thou  layest  down  thy  crown,  an- 
other shall  take  it  and  put  it  on.  If  thou  layest 
aside  thy  mantle  of  overcoming,  it  shall  fall  upon 
another. 

O  consider  whose  ways  are  best,  your  ways  or 
my  ways.  The  Lord  is  at  hand.  Be  patient  yet  a 
little  while  and  He  who  shall  come,  will  come,  and 
will  not  tarry.  O  rejoice !  the  day  of  redemption  is 
at  hand!  The  King  is  coming,  coming  SOON. 
HOLD  FAST !  HOLD  FAST !  HOLD  FAST ! 

647 


PRESS  ON  TO  PERFECTION. 

PROPHESY  AND  VISION. 

IT  was  the  night,  and  darkness  was  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth,  yea,  gross  darkness  covered 
the  people.  Behold  a  light  coming  out  of  the 
darkness,  a  voice  calling  through  the  gloom.  I  lifted 
my  eyes,  and  beheld  the  presence  of  the  Most  High, 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  the  Lamb  without  blemish. 
His  glory,  and  the  brightness  round  about  Him, 
outshone  the  brightness  of  the  noonday  sun ;  as  He 
drew  near  me  I  hid  my  face  before  the  radiance 
of  His  coming.  He  spoke,  and  my  soul  fell  within 
me  at  His  voice.  My  strength  departed  from  me, 
and  I  fell  at  His  feet  as  one  dead. 

I  heard  His  voice  saying:  "Fear  not,  Oh,  my 
child,  Stand  upon  thy  feet  and  follow  tkou  Me." 
But  my  strength  had  departed,  and  I  could  not 
stand.  Then  put  He  His  arms  about  me,  and  be- 
hold, we  were  lifted  up  from  the  earth.  He  carried 
me  in  the  Spirit  and  sat  me  do  AMI  upon  my  feet 
before  a  small  hill,  saying:  "Hast  thou  consid- 
ered this  hill  of  blessing?"  Then  measured  He  the 
hill  round  about,  and  I  beheld  the  measure  thereof, 
and  it  Avas  one  hundred  cubits.  Flowers  of  praise 
bloomed  on  its  sides,  tiny  streams  of  praise  issued 
therefrom. 

Then  caught  He  me  up  again  in  the  Spirit,  and 
sat  me  doAvn  upon  the  earth,  at  the  foot  of  a  very 
high  mountain  whose  top  I  could  not  see,  for  it 
Avas  beyond  the  clouds;  its  measure  could  not  be 
taken.  An  exceedingly  high  mountain  floAving 
Avith  milk  and  honey;  trees  Avere  laden  with  fruit, 
Avhose  clusters  hung  upon  the  Arine,  the  mountain 
of  the  Lord  which  He  builded  for  His  people. 

Then  said  He  unto  me:  "Why  haATe  My  people 
stopped  at  the  small  mountain  of  small  blessings? 

648 


PRESS  ON  TO  PERFECTION 

I,  even  I,  have  come  to  lead  them  forth  to  My 
great  mountain,  from  weakness  to  strength,  from 
defeat  to  victory,  from  showers  to  torrents,  from 
the  brooks  to  rivers.  Oh,  why  have  My  people  not 
gone  on  to  the  fulness?  I  have  said  greater  things 
than  I  do,  shall  ye  do  because  I  go  to  My  Father. 
Speak  unto  My  people;  cry  out:  'Leaving  the 
things  that  are  behind,  let  us  press-on  to  perfection.' 

"Oh,  my  people,  I  am  longing  to  show  forth  My 
power.  I  am  waiting  to  do  My  strange  acts.  I 
am  waiting  for  a  yielded  people,  yea,  even  a  worm 
with  which  I  can  thrash  a  mountain.  I  seek  not 
wisdom,  nor  thy  strength.  I  seek  humility  and 
yielded  hearts." 

Then  spake  the  Lord:  "Look -at  thy  side — the 
altar  of  the  Lord  which  My  people  have  builded 
for  me."  I  looked,  as  He  commanded,  and  lo!  a 
bright  fire  was  burning  upon  the  altar;  sacrifice 
and  praise,  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  arose,  as  a 
sweet-smelling  savor,  to  the  throne.  But  lo !  as  I 
looked,  the  fire  sank  lower,  and  died  away  in 
strength  'till  only  the  coals  were  left. 

Then  said  the  Lord,  with  sadness:  "Go,  speak 
unto  My  people : 

"  'Wherefore  hast  thou  ceased  to  offer  thyself 
as  a  sacrifice, .  with  thy  praise  as  a  sweet-smelling 
savor,  upon  My  altar?  Return  thou  unto  thy 
first  love,  unto  thy  whole-hearted  sacrifice,  also 
the  sacrifice  of  praise,  and  behold,  I  will  send  an 
awakening  among  the  people.  The  flames  shall  be 
kindled  upon  My  altar,  saith  the  Lord. 

Behold,  the  time  is  short.  Whatsoever  thou 
doest,  do  quickly.  Behold,  at  thy  gates  lie  all 
manner  of  precious  fruit.  Hasten  !  Hasten  !  Enter 
in,  My  children.  Behold,  I  come  quickly,  and  My 
reward  is  with  Me.  Seek  My  fulness.  Enter  thou 
in,  for  lo !  I  come  quickly.  Even  so.  Amen/  " 


649 


PERFECT  FRUIT. 

IVE  Me  thine  ear,  O  My  people.    Lend  Mo 
thine  ears,  for  Lo !  I  would  speak  unto  My 
children.   I  would  reveal  Myself  unto  Mine 
anointed. 

O  My  People,  behold  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 
Behold  the  Redeemer  walking  up  and  down  be- 
tween the  trees  of  His  vineyard.  He  is  searching 
for  the  perfect  fruit.  Lo!  here  the  tree  is  filled 
with  leaves.  But  where  is  the  fruit?  Here  is  a  tree 
filled  with  blossoms,  but  wrhere  is  the  fruit?  O 
My  people!  the  spring  is  past,  the  summer  is  over, 
the  fall  has  come.  Where  is  the  fruit?  Here  an- 
other tree  stands  with  tiny,  immature  fruit,  but  O ! 
the  time  has  come  for  the  perfect  fruit. 

O,  little  company!  little  flock!  Lo,  thou  hast 
been  considered  the  least  of  all,  but  thou  art 
worthy.  O  little  vineyard,  how  long  have  I  walked 
up  and  down  in  thy  midst.  My  pruning-knife  has 
been  in  My  hand.  I  have  not  spared  thee.  It  has 
not  all  been  pleasant,  but  I  have  been  working 
with  thee,  little  vineyard.  But  now,  hear  ye  My 
words:  the  time  has  come  for  the  fruit-bearing. 
Long  have  I  patiently  waited.  The  spring  is  over 
and  gone,  the  summer  has  come,  and  the  fall  is 
upon  us.  I  am  coming  soon  for  developed,  pruned 
and  ripened  fruit. 

/  have  seen  thy  patience,  and  have  written  it 
in  thy  book  of  My  remembrance. 

/  have  seen  thy  tears,  and  I  have  saved  them  in 
in  the  sealed  vessel  of  My  remembrance. 

/  have  heard  thy  prayers,  and  have  I  not  risen 
up  to  answrer  thee?  Behold  the  clouds,  the  bright 
clouds  of  blessing.  I  have  rolled  them  over  thy 
heads;  I  am  watering  thee  with  the  pure  water  of 

650 


PERFECT  FRUIT 

the  Spirit  that  ye  might  grow."  (O,  the  sadness 
on  the  Master's  face !  O,  the  sorrow  in  the  Master's 
heart !  So  many  trees,  so  many  vineyards,  but 
no  ripened  fruit}. 

"O,  little  people,  may  I  have  this  corner  in  the 
vineyard  with  the  perfect  fruit?  I  have  called 
unto  My  people  in  other  places,  beseeching  them  to 
lay  all  on  the  altar.  I  have  pled  with  them  many, 
many  years.  I  have  waited,  but  they  have  for- 
gotten to  seek  Me  in  humility  daily.  I  am  waiting 
for  a  perfect  tree  with  perfect  fruit.  Little  people, 
will  you  also  fail  Me?  O,  will  you  go  all  the 
way?" 

"O,  My  people,  seek  no  longer  fleshly  things; 
seek  not  earthly  things;  but  seek  thou  the  things 
of  the  Spirit.  Be  not  encumbered  with  many 
cares.  O,  for  a  people  with  one  accord,  in  one 
place,  with  all  things  in  common,  none  calling 
aught  they  possess  their  own !  How  I  could 
show  forth  My  glory.  Yea,  they  would  move 
heaven  and  earth  with  their  prayers. 

Can  you  not  perceive  My  plan?  Can  you  not 
understand  My  workings?  Behold  I  show  you  a 
mystery : 

I  have  called  nations  from  nations. 

I  have  separated  people  from  people. 

I  have  called  churches  from  churches. 

I  have  called  out  the  sanctified  from  the  luke- 
warm. 

I  have  called  out  a  baptized  company  from  the 
sanctified. 

But  now,  behold,  I  do  a  new  work. 

I  AM  SEEKING  TO  CALL  A  BAPTIZED  PEOPLE  FROM  A 
BAPTIZED  PEOPLE,  WHO  WILL  GO  ALL  THE  WAY  TO 
THE  STANDARD  OF  MY  PERFECTION. 

All  have  failed  as  a  complete  body  to  go  all  the 
way,  and  to  measure  up  to  the  Word;  but  I  will 
have  a  people  who  will  not  be  satisfied  with  aught 
but  My  best  perfection,  a  people  who  will  not 

651 


THIS  IS  THAT 

slumber  nor  sleep,  but  who  will  watch  with  Me 
this  one  remaining  hour.  Through  this  people  will 
I  show  forth  mighty  signs  and  wonders.  The 
people  shall  marvel  before  them,  saying: 

"What  manner  of  people  are  these?" 

They  will  seem  but  folly  unto  the  world;  but 
through  them  shall  the  wisdom  of  Jehovah  be  made 
manifest. 

Weak  in  themselves,  but  in  Me  they  shall  be 
strong  and  do  exploits. 

Dumb  in  themselves  and  their  own  words,  S!OAV/ 
to  speak,  few  in  words,  but  they  shall  speak  forth 
My  words  in  the  power  and  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit, 

O,  little,  called-out  people,  I  am  here  tonight. 
Have  I  not  called  thee  out  from  the  people,  from 
earthly  bodies,  to  serve  Me?  Has  it  not  meant 
persecution?  But  thou  hast  been  willing  to  pay 
the  price  thus  far.  Behold,  My  heart  is  pleased 
with  thee;  but  will  you  go  all  the  way?  Behold,  if 
thou  wilt  walk  with  me  this  way,  I  will  show  thee 
what  great  things  thou  must  suffer  for  My  name's 
sake.  But  I  AVI  11  cause  thee  to  overcome  even 
as  I  overcame.  Thou  shalt  sit  with  Me  upon  My 
throne  even  as  I  sit  upon  My  Father's  throne.  O 
keep  humble!  Keep  low  at  My  feet!  Trust  not 
in  the  arm  of  flesh,  even  good  flesh.  Look  upon 
Me.  Stand  in  the  bonds  of  love  and  unity,  with  a 
•whole-hearted  surrender  of  everything,  and  I  will 
do  the  rest. 

Behold  great  blessings  are  in  store  for  the  over- 
comers— THE  OVERCOMERS.  Behold  T  come 
quickly  to  take  My  perfect  fruit  and  the  full  over- 
comers. 


652 


JESUS  IS  COMING   SOON— GET  READY. 

VISION  AND  PROPHECY. 

THEKE  came  a  great  voice  from  Heaven  as 
of  a  trumpet,  crying:    JESUS  is  COMING  SOON 

—GET  READY   TO  MEET   HIM. 

My  soul  longed  to  see  His  face.  My  heart  had 
been  cleansed  by  His  blood,  and  the  Spirit  had 
entered  the  tabernacle.  I  cried  out : 

"Yea,  Lord/'  and  ran  to  meet  Him. 

"Get  ready !  Get  ready !"  cried  the  great  voice, 
again  and  again.  "Get  ready!  Get  ready!!"  yet 
echoed  over  the  hills  and  through  the  valleys. 
"Get  ready!" 

"O !  Lord,  Lord !"  I  cried,  "Wherefore  sayest 
thou  unto  me,  'Get  ready?'  Have  I  not  left  all 
for  thee?  Didst  Thou  not  wash  me  in  Thy  blood? 
Wherein  shall  I  get  ready?" 

He  held  an  open  Bible  before  my  face  and  it 
shone  as  a  mirror.  Then  showed  He  me  myself, 
dark  and  tanned,  and  uncomely. 

"O  Lord,"  I  wept,  "have  thy  way.  Get  Thou 
me  ready,  I  pray." 

Then  I  lifted  up  my  eyes  and  beheld  a  man, 
tall  of  stature,  clothed  in  raiment  of  light,  that 
shone  as  the  sun.  A  sharp  sword  gleamed  in  His 
hand.  I  beheld  His  brightness,  and  saw  His 
armour  gleaming  upon  Him.  He  advanced  and 
drew  near  me.  He  towered  above  me.  His  beauty 
was  of  such  brightness  my  eyes  could  not  gaze 
upon  Him.  Then  I  saAV  my  own  imperfections,  my 
blemishes,  my  failures.  I  withered  under  His 
gaze,  and  Avas  ashamed  in  His  presence.  I  wept 
for  my  foolish  blindness,  that  had  boasted  of 
readiness. 

653 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Who  can  dwell  in  His  brightness  without  show- 
ing a  blemish? 

"O,  Lord/'  I  cried,  "I  am  a  failure.  I  am  all 
blackness.  I  am  undone."  Then  He  spake:  "Wilt 
thou  let  me  have  My  way?  Wilt  thou  let  Me  make 
thee  ready,  no  matter  what  the  cost?" 

"O  Lord,"  I  cried,  "I  am  utterly  unworthy,  but 
have  your  way." 

I  saw  him  in  my  vision  that  the  open  Bible 
which  He  held  had  been  transformed  into  a  flash- 
ing, two-edged  sword.  Then  He  lifted  His  sword, 
and  placed  it  upon  my  lips.  It  burned  as  a 
coal  of  fire.  My  lips,  my  tongue,  were  utterly  con- 
sumed. Then  He  raised  His  sword  and  placed  it 
upon  My  eyes,  and  I  was  blinded  unto  the  world 
and  the  shortcomings  and  failures  of  all  mankind. 
Then  His  sword  shone  as  it  turned  in  His  hand 
and  He  smote  off  mine  ears,  so  that  I  could  hear 
no  earthly  voice,  but  only  His  voice,  sweet  as  the 
rushing  of  many  waters.  Again  His  sword  whirled 
through  the  sunlight,  and  this  time  my  head  was 
cut  off,  that  I  should  think  no  more  in  myself. 
Then  He  severed  my  arms  and  my  limbs,  that  I 
should  move  no  more  in  my  flesh. 

In  my  heart  I  cried:  "O!  Lord!  there  will  be 
nothing  left  of  me  if  You  have  Your  way  much 
longer."  My  soul  failed  within  me,  and  I  beheld 
myself  as  from  a  distance  lying  at  His  feet  as  one 
dead,  broken  in  fragments,  undone.  It  seemed  that 
I  was  utterly  undone,  and  I  murmured  at  His 
dealings.  But  He  spake  and  said  : 

"Thou  shalt  walk  no  longer  in  the  flesh,  but  in 
the  Spirit.  Out  of  death  shall  come  life.  This 
corruption  shall  put  on  incorruption.  This  mortal 
shall  put  on  immortality.  Then  shall  be  fulfilled 
this  saying,  fO  Death!  ivhere  is  thy  sting?  0, 
Grave!  where  is  thy  victory?'  That  which  is  flesh 
must  die.  Only  the  Spirit  can  inherit  spiritual 
life." 

654 


JESUS  IS  COMING  SOON — GET  READY 

Then  I  looked  and  behold!  a  New  creation,  as 
of  a  beautiful  woman.  I  beheld  her  coming  from 
the  West,  and  walking  towards  the  East.  She 
approached.  I  beheld  her  white  raiment,  dazzling 
as  the  snow  in  the  sunshine.  Her  movements  were 
gracious  and  tender.  Her  voice  was  mellow  and 
full  of  sweet  fragrance.  I  smelled  the  fragrance 
of  her  garments,  as  sweet  lillies  grown  in  the 
valleys,  and  as  the  rose  of  Sharon.  Her  eyes 
beheld  no  guile,  but  they  were  tender  as  a  dove's 
eyes.  Her  lips  were  pure,  and  dropped  as  the 
honey-comb.  No  foolishness,  no  criticism  marred 
their  sweetness.  No  fleshly  words,  her  ears  were 
kept  for  His  alone,  her  Lover,  her  Bridegroom, 
her  King. 

As  she  drew  nigh,  I  gazed  with  amazement  into 
her  face,  and  saw  that  it  was  myself.  I  heard  the 
voice  of  the  Master  speaking  unto  me,  saying: 
"This  is  My  beloved.  How  far  you  have  fallen 
short  of  the  standard  of  my  perfections !" 

TO    THE    SAINTS. 

O  AWAKE!  AWAKE!  AWAKE!!  Thou  that 
sleepest.  Jesus  is  coming  soon.  Get  Ready!  Get 
Ready!!  His  bride  must  be  without  spot  or 
wrinkle  or  blemish,  or  any  such  thing.  Her  eyes 
must  see  Him  only.  Thy  words  shall  condemn 
thee  if  thou  speakest  ill  of  thy  neighbor.  Thine 
ears  shall  testify  against  thee  if  thou  shalt  hearken 
to  any  voice  but  His.  I  will  have  a  separated  peo- 
ple, saith  the  Lord,  a  people  who  will  walk  before 
Me  in  holiness,  in  the  beauty  of  My  perfection.  Lo ! 
I  stand  before  thee.  My  sword  is  in  My  hand. 
Wilt  thou  let  Me  have  My  way?  It  means  death 
to  the  natural  life,  to  be  spiritual.  It  means 
putting  off  the  old  man,  with  the  lusts  thereof,  and 
being  clothed  upon  with  the  heavenly  building 
which  is  of  God. 


655 


JESUS  IS  COMING  SOON — GET  READY 

Beauty  for  ashes, 
Praise  for  murmuring, 
Love  for .  backbiting, 
Sweetness  for  unsweetness, 
Victory  for  defeat, 
Brightness  for  shadows. 
O  beloved,  will  you  let  Me  have  My  way? 

Over  the  hills  in  glory, 
Over  the  mountains  bright, 
Hear  the  glad,  sweet  story, 
He  cometh  with  power  and  might. 
Lift  up  your  heads,  ye  pilgrims, 
The  Master  draweth  near; 
Weep  no  more,  ye  pilgrims, 
The  Lord  is  almost  here. 

AM  EX. 


656 


THE  SIEVE  OF  THE  LORD. 

PROPHECY — DURANTj  FLA.,, 

BEHOLD,  two  hands — strong  hands — hands  of 
the  Lord;  and  in  His  hands  a  sieve.  He  is 
sifting,  sifting,  sifting  His  people. 

Once  they  were  small,  and  but  as  dust — then 
could  God  use  them,  but  when  they  ceased  to  be 
small  and  helpless,  when  they  gathered  themselves 
together  in  separated  lumps,  they  became  big  and 
hard  and  unyielding,  and  the  Lord  wept  over  them. 
He  could  no  longer  mould  or  shape,  or  fashion 
them. 

There  were  the  lumps  of  unbelief,  and  the  lumps 
of  pride.  (),  those  lumps  of  skepticism ;  those 
lumps  of  self  and  doubts  and  fears;  those  lumps  of 
formality  and  ceremony;  God  could  not  put  them 
into  the  body.  He  could  not  form  them  into  that 
glorious,  Bridal  Body,  for  they  were  no  longer 
yielded  and  submissive  in  His  hands. 

Once  they  were  small,  but  now  harder  and  larger 
and  wider  the  lumps  had  grown,  until  they  were 
blind,  deaf  and  dumb  and  slow  of  understanding 
Then  were  formed  the  lumps  of  organization  and 
Catholicism.  Oh,  the  stiffness  and  hardness  of 
those  lumps.  "I  must  break  them;  I  must  smite 
them  with  the  hammer  of  My  Word.  I  must  have 
a  broken,  sifted  people  through  whom  I  can  have 
My  way.  I  must  separate  a  peculiar  people  unto 
Myself." 

THE    GREAT    SIEVE. 

Behold  the  hands  of  the  Lord.  He  put  the 
broken  lumps  into  the  great  sieve  He  held  in  His 
hands.  The  sieve  had  large  meshes,  and  as  He  did 
shake  and  begin  the  work  of  separation,  many  of 
the  smaller  lumps  and  dust  went  through  the  sieve. 

657 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Many  hearts  were  broken  and  contrite  under  His 
dealings;  but  the  bigger  lumps  of  doubts  and  fears 
and  unbelief,  He  had  to  throw  them  away.  He 
loved  His  people,  but  those  who  would  not  become 
broken,  He  had  to  throw  aside. 

Many  went  through  the  sieve,  in  those  early 
days.  Many  of  the  smaller  lumps  passed  through 
the  coarse  sieve,  but  they  were  still  hard  and 
lumpy. 

THE   SECOND  SIEVE. 

So  He  made  another  sieve  of  smaller  meshes, 
and  put  in  His  people,  who  had  passed  through  the 
first  sieve.  He  shook  them  and  tried  them,  separ- 
ated them  and  sifted  them.  Many  rebelled  and 
refused  to  go  through,  so  He  had  to  lay  them  aside. 
But  some  went  through  this  second  sieve,  and 
precious  were  they  in  His  sight. 

Those  who  went  through  the  sieve  had  to  go 
through  the  world.  They  had  to  let  go  one  of 
another;  they  had  to  let  go  of  themselves  and  of 
the  opinions  of  people.  They  who  passed  through 
the  sieve  had  to  let  go  all  foolishness  and  pride. 

O,  that  sifting — that  separating!  The  Lord 
gathered  them  in  His  hands.  There  were  still  a 
few  little  lumps.  They  were  still  His  people;  but 
those  who  would  not  believe  and  be  broken,  He 
had  to  throw  aside. 

THE  FINE  SIEVE. 

Those  who  had  gone  through  the  sieve  were  not 
sifted  fine  enough,  nor  little  enough  to  be  moulded, 
so  the  Lord  made  for  Himself  a  still  finer  sieve. 

Who  can  understand  the  plan  of  the  Lord? 

Into  the  finer  sieve  He  put  His  people,  and  He 
is  sifting  and  trying  people,  who  will  let  Him 
have  His  way.  All  doubts  and  fears  must  be 
eliminated.  All  selfishness,  the  old  nature,  all 
desire  for  earthly  honor,  popularity  and  recogni- 
tion, must  be  taken  away.  All  hardness,  stiffness 

658 


THE  SIEVE  OF  THE  LORD 

and  stubborness  must  be  taken  away.  All  flesh, 
even  good  flesh,  must  be  left  behind.  All  selfish 
ambitions,  all  gossip,  all  earthly,  idle  words  and 
foolish  communication,  all  falseness  and  shallow- 
ness,  and  desire  for  earthly  leadership,  must  be 
gathered  together  and  cast  out. 

But  His  people,  He  will  try  again.  He  will  sift 
them  the  second,  the  third  time.  The  fourth  time 
and  the  fifth  time  shall  He  sift  His  people.  Ah! 
He  shall  have  a  people  who  can  go  through  the 
finest  sieve — pass  the  finest  test,  whose  hearts  are 
broken,  whose  spirits  are  mellow  and  yielded  and 
who  are  abandoned  to  His  will.  He  shall  gather 
them  together;  not  a  grain  shall  be  lost.  But  He 
shall  gather  His  people  together  from  the  East 
and  from  the  West,  from  the  North  and  from  the 
South — from  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  He 
shall  gather  them  in.  He  shall  hold  and  mould 
them  in  the  palm  of  His  hand  as  fine  dust. 

Once  the  lumps  were  large.  They  were  big  and 
great,  but  He  could  not  use  them.  His  people  are 
a  peculiar,  sifted,  tried  people,  who  are  as  the 
dust  of  His  glorious  feet;  and  with  that  dust  He 
shall  form  a  ~body,  even  as  He  did  from  Adam  in 
the  beginning,  so  shall  He  form  this  body.  They 
shall  be  yielded  in  His  hands ;  they  shall  be  pliable 
under  His  dealings.  He  shall  make  them  into 
members  of  the  body  and  fasten  them  together 
with  cords  of  love. 

FORMING  THE  BODY. 

The  Head  shall  be  joined  to  the  neck — the  neck 
to  the  shoulders.  The  arms  shall  take  their  places 
in  the  sockets,  and  they  shall  not  be  stiff,  but  shall 
be  oiled,  and  soft  and  mellow  with  the  Spirit. 
Their  breasts  shall  be  of  Faith  and  Love,  and  shall 
be  full.  All  the  parts  of  the  Body  shall  be  in  their 
places.  The  spine  shall  be  formed  together,  and 
the  loins  shall  be  formed  and  rest  in  their  sockets. 

659 


THIS  IS  THAT 

From  yielded  dust  shall  be  formed  strong  limbs- 
legs  as  pillars  of  marble,  not  to  be  removed.  Of 
the  humble  members  shall  He  form  the  feet;  they 
shall  be  humble,  and  bear  about  the  other  members, 
yet  without  feet  the  body  could  not  walk. 

GIVING  LIFE  TO  THE  BODY. 

Then  shall  He  breathe  upon  this  Body — upon 
His  yielded,  slain  people.  He  shall  breathe  life 
into  the  nostrils,  and  the  Body  shall  become  a 
living  soul — controlled  not  by  self,  but  by  the 
Spirit.  They  shall  walk  not  by  flesh,  but  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord.  They  shall  be  strong  and  do 
exploits.  From  the  Head  shall  grow  the  long  hair 
of  separation  and  praise  to  God — not  one  missing. 

COMING    FOR    THE    BODY. 

Soon  He  coineth !  Ah,  soon  He  cometh — this 
King  of  glory.  Soon  shall  He  part  the  clouds  and 
descend  with  a  shout.  His  sifted,  humble,  tried 
little  people  He  shall  take  by  the  hand,  and  stand 
them  upon  their  feet — many  members,  but  one 
Body,  and  catch  them  up  to  reign  with  Him  upon 
His  throne. 

O,  My  people,  be  little  enough  to  go  through  the 
sieve.  O,  let  go  everything  that  would  hinder,  and 
go  through.  Go  THROUGH. 


660 


WILL  THOU  WATCH  WITH  ME  ONE  LITTLE 
HOUR? 

PROPHETIC  SONG. 

The  night  is  dark.     The  sun  hath  long  since  hid 

his  face. 

The  Master  cometh  forth  into  the  garden  to  pray; 
He  bringeth  forth  His  chosen  ones  to  pray  with 

Him. 

O !  dark  is  the  night,  their  eyes  are  heavy  with 

slumber. 

"Will  you  watch  with  Me  one  little  hour? 
Will    you    stay    awake    and    resist    the    tempter's 

power? 

Will  you  watch  with  me  this  little  hour? 
Soon  the  watching  will  all  be  o'er." 

O  hear  the  Master  praying  for  you; 

Praying  for  a  world  steeped  in  sin. 

Hear  the  moaning  and  the  groaning  as  He  travails 

for  the  lost. 

Weeping,  wailing,  sobbing,  hear  the  Master  now, 
As  the  sweat  drops  of  blood  appear  upon  His  brow 

in  the  moonlight's  glow. 

"Will  you  watch  with  me  one  little  hour?" 

The  World  has  forgotten.     See  them  slumbering, . 

fast  asleep. 
And  still  He  prays,  and  still  He  prays,  and  cries 

to  God. 
Behold  the  shadows  deepen,  and  the  cup  is  in  His 

hand. 
O  must  He  drink  it  all  alone?    None  to  share  or 

bear  the  burden? 

661 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Lo!  He  is  bending  over  you;  He  is  speaking  in 

your  ear. 

Canst  thou  not  hear?    O,  watch  and  pray, 
O   watch   and  pray,   lest   thou   should   enter  into 

temptation. 

"Nevertheless,  not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done." 
O  hear  the  cry;  He  is  praying  for  the  world. 
Wilt  thou  not  watch  and  pray,  until  the  breaking 
of  the  day? 

Jesus  approacheth  again  and  saith,  " Sleep  on  now 

and  take  your  rest, 

The  blessing  you  might  have  is  fled  away. 
Alone  I  prayed  with  none  to  stand  with  Me. 
Sleep  on,  sleep  on,  and  take  thy  rest." 

O,  will  you  too  fail  Him,  will  you,  too,  sleep  in 

slumber  deep? 
Or  will  you  watch  and  pray?    'Twill  soon  be  day, 

and  He  is  coming  soon. 

Beloved,  if  ever  there  was  a  time  for  the  followers  of  the 
Lord  to  resist  the  slumber  that  the  enemy  would  put  upon 
them,  and  pray,  it  is  now.  What  a  type  the  sleeping  dis- 
ciples in  the  garden,  and  the  sleeping  virgins  with  their 
lamps,  are  of  the  church  today.  The  same  Jesus  who 
prayed  in  the  garden  of  old  is  making  constant  interces- 
sion at  His  Father's  throne  today.  The  same  Jesus  who 
besought  His  disciples  to  watch  with  Him  and  pray  that 
they  enter  not  into  temptation,  is  still  calling  for  inter- 
cessors, through  whom  the  Spirit  can  pray  with  groanings 
that  cannot  be  uttered. 

It  is  only  a  little  hour  now  till  He  shall  appear.  Let  us 
be  faithful.  Awake  and  pray. 


662 


THIS  IS  THE  WAY,  WALK  YE   IN  IT. 

PROPHECY. 

This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it ; 

Out  of  defeat,  into  victory, 

Out  of  the  mire,  into  purity, 

Out  of  darkness,  into  light, 

Out  of    sin,  into  Righteousness, 

Out  of    the    Valley,  into  the  extended  plain, 

Out  of  death  into  Life — yea,  life  everlasting, 

This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it. 
I  am  the  way,  follow  thou  me;  yea,  follow  in  My 
footsteps. 

Lift  up  your  eyes :  behold ! 

Who  is  tills  that  cometh  with  clouds  and  great 

glory? 

Who  is  this  that  rideth  upon  His  horse? 
His  face  shineth  as  the  sun  in  noonday  splendor. 
His  garments  are  white  and  dazzling  as  the  snow : 
His  voice  is  as  the  rushing  of  many  waters, 
His  words,  sweet  and  gracious  and  tender. 
Who  is  this? 

His  feet  shine  as  burnished  brass; 
His  appearance  is  as  gold  in  a  burning  furnace. 

Behold  He  cometh! 
He  cometh  with  ten   thousand  thousands  of  His 

saints. 

Behold  they  are  coming,  riding  upon  their  chariots. 
Hear  the  treading  of  their  horses. 
Their  spears  are  gleaming  in  the  sunlight; 
Their  swords  are  swinging  by  their  sides. 

On  and  on  they  come. 
Behold  the  heavens  are  filled  with  their  glory. 

663 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Behold  the  King  cometh  with  ten  thousand  times 

ten  thousand  of  His  hosts. 
His  glory  is  bright.     He  is  as  a  burning  light ; 
Who  shall  be  able  to  stand  in  His  presence? 

His  beauty,  who  shall  declare  it? 

His  beaut}7,  who  shall  describe  it? 

Who  art  Thou  whose  glory  doth  fill  the  heavens? 

Whose  light  breaketh  forth  as  the  morning? 

I  am  the  first;  I  am  the  last; 

I  am  the  beginning;  I  am  the  end. 

I  am  the  Alpha;  I  am  the  Omega; 

I  am  He  who  was  dead,  but  behold 

I  am  alive  forever. 

I  am  HE  who  passed  through  defeat,  and  entered 
into  victory; 

I  am  He  who  passed  through  the  valley  and  the 
shadow  of  death,  into  the  wide  plain  forever. 

I  am  He  who  came  through  darkness  and  passed 
into  light. 

I  am  He  \vho  did  swallow  up  death  and  brought 
forth  life,  yea,  eternal  life. 

I  am  He,  who  passed  through  the  mire  of  this 
Avorld,  with  its  slander  and  rebuke,  and 
have  been  made  white  and  stand  in  right- 
eousness forevermore. 

YEA,  AND  AS  I  AM,  SO  MUST  YOU  BE  ALSO, 
That  Avhere  I  am,  there  may  you  be  forever. 
O,  Behold,  I  AM  the  way,  follow  thou  ME. 
I  AM  the  Way,  follow  thou  Me. 
I  AM  the  Way  that  leads  from  earth  to  Heaven : 
I  AM  the  Wajr,  the  narrow  way 
That   leads   from   death   to   Life,    from   defeat   to 
victory. 


664 


THIS  IS  THE  WAY,  WALK  YE  IN  IT 

Ueliold  the  KING  is  riding  forth  in  His  Glory ! 
For  whom  art  Thou  coming,  O  KING  of  Heaven 

and  of  earth? 

I  am  coining  for  those  who  have  walked  in  the  way ; 
Who  have  followed  Me;   who  have   been   faithful 

unto  death 
And  art  alive  for  evermore." 

Who  is  this  that  cometh  forth  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness? 

She  leans  upon  the  arm  of  her  beloved. 

There  are  tears  upon  her  face. 

She  is  foot-sore  and  weary. 

Her  back  is  bowed  with  a  burden. 

Her  garments  are  torn  and  muddied, 

But  He  will  give  her  a  white  robe  of  His  righteous- 
ness. 

She  climbeth  the  mountains,  and  passeth  through 
the  valley. 

She  crosseth  the  wide,  extended  field,  she  journeys 
o'er  the  plain. 

Before  her  lies  a  tunnel,  a  deep  valley  bathed  with 
the  shadows  of  night. 

She  will  not  falter,  even  though  the  way  is  dark, 
and  the  lions  roar. 

He  will  not  allow  her  to  stumble  nor  dash  her 
foot  against  a  stone. 

He  bringeth  her  through  the  darkness  into  the 
light. 

He  bringeth  her  to  the  boundary  line  between  the 
two  countries. 

There  she  must  be  searched;  there  she  must  be 
stripped. 

She  must  not  bring  any  message  from  the 
country  of  darkness  into  the  country  of 
light.  Even  as  your  countrymen  halt,  at 
the  boundary  line,  all  that  would  enter  from 

665 


THIS  IS  THAT 

the  enemy's  country,  and  search  them,  so 
shall  she  be  searched  and  stripped. 

(New  garments  shall  be  given  her,  His  righteous- 
ness and  joy.) 

But  she  will  go  through,  even  as  He  hath  said. 

I  AM  the  WAY,  walk  thou  in  Me  and  be  thou 

perfect. 
Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a 

crown  of  life. 

Go  through.     Go  through  the  gates;  enter  thou  in. 
Be   faithful  yet   a   little   longer,   the   darkness   is 

almost  over. 

The  day  of  thy  humiliation  is  almost  ended. 
No  more  shalt  thou  be  footsore  and  weary,  for  I 

am  come  to  give  thee  rest. 
Even  as  I  washed  the  feet  of  the  disciples,  so  shall 

I  wash  thy  feet, 

And  I  will  wipe  all  tears  from  all  faces. 
There  shall  be  no  more  pain. 
Behold,   SOON   the  clouds  shall  part,   and   thine 

eyes  shall  behold  the  coming  of  the  KING, 

saith  the  Lord. 
Behold  I  come  quickly;  My  reward  is  with  Me;  J. 

neither  slumber  nor  sleep. 
Make    haste,    O    beloved   of   the    Lord;    He    shall 

remove    thy    burden     and    cause    thee    to 

shine   as   the   Light    forevermore,   even    the 

Sun  of  Righteousness. 

This  is  the  WAY,  walk  ye  in  it. 

Even  as  I  overcame,  so  must  ye  overcome. 

Even  as  I  was  faithful  unto  death,  even  the  death 

of  the  cross, 
So  must  you  be,  even  to  the  putting  away  of  the 

old  nature,  and  I  will  give  you  eternal  life. 
Even  as  I  was  misunderstood  and  mocked, 
Even  as  I  was  cast  out  of  the  synagogues, 

666 


THIS  IS  THE  WAY,  WALK  YE  IN  IT 

Even  as  I  was  lifted  up,  a  gazing  stock,  and  was 

spotless,  so  must  ye  be. 
Even  because  I  AM  THE  WAY,  follow  thou  Me. 

Lift  up  the  hands  that  hang  down,  and  strengthen 
the  feeble  knees. 

Be  patient  yet  a  little  longer,  only  a  little,  for  be- 
hold I  come  quickly. 

O,  can  you  not  see? 

If  you  would  open  your  eyes  you  would  see  the 
heavens  are  filled  with  My  chariots  and  My 
horsemen. 

If  your  ears  were  open  you  would  hear  the  re- 
joicing and  victorious  shouts  of  My  hosts. 

Behold  I  am  coming  soon;  My  victorious  armies 
are  with  Me;  they  shall  avenge  Mine  elect. 

"O,"  saith  the  Lord  God  Jehovah,  "I  will  avenge 
Mine  elect," 

Soon  shall  go  forth  My  swift  lightning,  the 
lightning  of  My  sword  among  the  nations. 

But  because  thou  hast  followed  Me,  thou  shalt  sit 
with  Me  in  the  heavens  and  laugh. 

I  shall  tread  My  wine-press,  and  it  will  be  full  of 

the  blood  of  those  who  rejected  Me  and  thee. 
Fear  not,  My  little  ones,  but  GO  THROUGH,  even 

as  I  went  through. 
He   that  saveth   his   life   shall   lose   it;    save   not 

thyself. 
Behold  they  will  say  unto  thee,  as  they  said  to 

Me—"8ave  Thyvelf," 
But  go  through.     Go  through. 
Vengeance  is  Mine;  I  will  repay. 
Behold  I  have  rolled  away  the  Ked  Sea.     I  have 

opened  a  way. 
As    I    rolled    back    the    Red    Sea    and    drowned 

Pharaoh's  hosts  of  old, 
So  shall  I  consume  thine  adversaries  from  before 

thine  eyes. 

667 


THIS  IS  THAT 

I  AM  THE  WAY. 

I  have  made  a  straight  path  through  the  Red  Sea, 
Even  through  the  Red  Sea  of  My  Blood,  I  have 

made  a  way. 
Pass  over,  My  people. 
I  have  removed  the  stiug  of  death  for  thee;  for 

thee  there  is  victory. 
I  will  remove  the  armies  that  molest  thee,  if  thou 

wilt  only  follow  Me. 
So  many  hard  things  came  because  thou  didst  not 

follow  ME.    ' 

I  have  opened  a  way,  follow  thou  in  My  footsteps. 
I,  who  have  overthrown  the  walled  cities,  even 
I,  shall  overthrow  the  Avails  of  opposition— 
I,  Avho  locked  the  lions'  mouths — 
I,  who  brake  the  chains  of  brass— 
I,  who  led  armies  to  victory— 
O  follow  thou  Me ! 
Follow  Me  through  into  Glory; 
Follow  Me  through  the  Garden; 
Follow  Me  through  the  Judgment ; 
FolloAv  Me  through  to  Calvary; 
FolloAV  Me  through  the  tomb; 
FolloAv  Me  through  the  resurrection, 
And  thou  shalt  folloAV  Me  through  the  translation ; 
Yea,  thou  shalt  follow  Me  FOREVER, 
THIS  IS  THE  WAY,  WALK  YE  IN  IT. 

AMEN. 


668 


THE  VINEYARD  OF  THE  LORD. 

TONGUES    AND    INTERPRETATION. 

LIFT  up  thine  eyes  and  look  to  the  East,  to 
the  West,  to  the  North,  and  to  the  South; 
behold  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

His  vineyard  is  before  Him ;  He  walketh  up  and 
down  in  the  midst  of  it.  Oh,  how  long,  Oh,  how 
long,  Oh,  how  long  He  has  waited  for  the  perfect 
fruit? 

Oh,  thou  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  Jehovah  is  in 
the  midst  of  thee.  He  has  never  forgotten  thee; 
He  has  never  neglected  thee.  With  His  love  has 
He  built  a  wall  about  thee;  He  has  fenced  thee 
about  on  every  side  and  sheltered  thee  from  the 
world.  With  His  own  hand  has  He  digged  and 
turned  thy  soil ;  by  His  own  power  has  He  sown 
thy  seed,  and  cared  for  thy  tender  plants;  He  hath 
watered  thee  with  showers  of  blessing  and  times 
of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

How  earnestly  He  watched  thy  budding  forth, 
oh,  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  when  thou  didst  first 
receive  the  former  rain !  He  hath  digged  about 
thee;  He  has  caused  the  sun  to  shine  upon  thee; 
and  now  behold,  He  sendeth  the  latter  rain  upon 
thee  that  thy  fruit  should  come  to  full  perfection, 
even  the  perfection  of  the  Lord. 

I  have  let  the  winds,  yea,  the  North  and  South 
winds,  blow  upon  thee  that  thou  might  be  estab- 
lished, and  thy  roots  sink  deep  into  me.  The  sap 
of  my  life  have  I  sent  coursing  through  thy 
veins ;  thy  tender  leaves  have  been  put  forth  and 
developed,  and  now  behold,  the  time  for  the 
ripening  of  the  fruit  is  here. 

The  Lord  of  the  vineyard  has  come  forth  into 
His  garden  to  seek  precious  ripened  fruit.  He 

669 


THIS  IS  THAT 

seeketh  the  perfect  fruit.  He  turneth  to  the  East, 
to  the  West,  to  the  North,  to  the  South.  Where, 
oh,  where  is  the  perfect  fruit? 

Here  the  fruit  is  marred,  with  blemishes  upon 
it.  He  passeth  by.  He  seeketh  not  the  blemished, 
but  perfect  fruit  to  take  to  Himself. 

Yonder  the  fruit  is  small  and  undeveloped. 
Where  is  the  perfect  fruit?  He  seeketh  not  small 
and  undeveloped,  but  perfect  in  measure  and  stat- 
ure for  Himself. 

There  the  fruit  is  growing,  but  so  slowly.  He 
is  standing,  waiting,  waiting,  looking  for  the  per- 
fect fruit. 

He  cries  unto  His  vineyard, 

Oh,  my  vineyard,  how  long,  how  long,  before  I 
shall  receive  my  perfect  fruit?  Why  tarriest  thou 
so  long  and  withholdest  thy  perfection  from  me? 
Have  I  withheld  my  hand  from  thee?  Have  I  not 
sent  thee  the  former  and  latter  rain  in  the  first 
month?  Have  I  not  caused  the  sun  to  shine  on 
thee  by  day  and  the  moon  to  watch  thee  by  night? 
And,  now,  behold,  the  husbandman,  waiting  for 
His  Fruit. 

Wroe  unto  thee  thou  barren  and  unfruitful  trees  \ 
Surely  thou  shalt  be  cut  off  from  the  garden  of 
living  trees,  and  the  place  where  thou  art  shall 
know  thee  no  more.  Cursed  art  thou  among  trees, 
for  thou  hast  borne  me  no  fruit. 

And  thou,  trees  of  the  blemished  fruit,  and  the 
undeveloped  fruit,  mine  eye  hath  seen  thee,  mine, 
eye  hath  searched  thee  out. 

But  Oh!  Thou  tree  of  the  growing  fruit, 
thou  art  nearing  the  days  of  thy  perfection. 
Surely  thou  shalt  grow  up  before  me  as  a  tender 
plant,  as  a  tree  planted  by  the  living  waters.  Thy 
desire  is  toward  me,  my  desire  is  toward  thee. 
And  I  will  gather  thee  unto  myself  in  the  day  of 
thy  perfection.  AMEN. 


670 


THE  STORM  AND  THE  WHITE  LAMBS. 

TONGUES    AND    INTERPRETATION. 

The  clouds  are  dark.  The  sky  is  filled  with 
rolling  tempest  of  darkest  clouds.  Great  bolts 
and  strokes  of  lightning  flash  from  the  heavens. 
The  lightnings  flash  as  visible  signs  of  the  wrath 
and  fury  of  Almighty  God.  Listen !  The  thunders 
are  rolling  and  resounding  from  hill  to  hill. 

Below  is  a  green  pasture  field,  and  in  its  en- 
closure a  beautiful  flock  of  white  lambs.  Surely 
they  shall  know  no  fear  nor  terror,  for  there  is 
One  in  their  midst  who  holds  in  one  hand  His 
crook,  and  in  the  other  a  cruse  of  oil. 

Some  of  the  lambs  leave  the  enclosure.  The 
lions,  the  wolves,  the  hosts  of  darkness  pounce 
upon  them  and  the  place  wherein  they  dwelt 
knows  them  no  more.  O,  stay  within  the  enclosure 
of  His  will  and  protecting  grace.  'Twill  not  be 
long  till  the  Deliverer  will  come.  He  sends  not 
His  sheep  forth  to  fight  wolves;  stay  thou  within 
the  enclosure. 

The  storm  increases,  the  winds  howl,  the  waves 
roll,  the  lightning  flashes,  the  enemy  draws  nearer, 
emboldened  by  the  darkness.  Whither  shall  they 
go?  There  is  no  escape  to  the  right  nor  the  left. 
There  is  a  barrier  before  and  behind.  Stand  still, 
little  flock,  the  indignation  of  the  Lord  is  being 
poured  out  upon  the  wicked,  but  He  will  pass  over 
thcc.  The  storms  are  raging,  but  behold  the 
heavens  are  rolling  apart.  There  cometh  One 
whose  appearance  is  all  glorious,  His  garments 
are  as  robes  of  light,  His  face  is  filled  with 
tenderest  compassion.  His  arms  are  outstretched 
— <Tis  the  Shepherd  of  the  sheep. 

671 


THIS  IS  THAT 

They  are  surrounded  before  and  behind  on  the 
right  and  the  left,  by  the  hosts  of  darkness.  The 
lions  roar,  the  serpents  hiss,  the  wolves  bare  their 
fangs,  the  enemy  rages  against  the  righteous,  but 
they  shall  know  no  terror,  for  there  is  an  invisible 
power  betwixt  them  and  their  enemies. 

IT  18  THE  BLOOD  OF  JE8U8,  AND  THE 
POWER  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

Their  Leader  is  with  them,  even  the  Spirit,  to 
lead  them.  A  lamb  is  on  his  bosom.  He  speaks  to 
the  flock  that  they  should  wait  and  be  patient  a 
little  longer.  The  Leader  is  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Soon  will  the  Shepherd  come  to  gather  the  sheep 
of  His  pasture  away  from  out  of  the  dark  and  the 
cloudy  day,  and  take  them  to  that  fold  where  the 
sun  never  sets,  and  they  will  be  with  Him,  forever. 
He  poureth  in  the  oil,  He  bindeth  up  the  wounds, 
yea,  He  will  heal  thee. 

Ah,  little  flock,  He  cometh,  He  coineth,  ABIDE 
WITHIN  THE  POWER  OF  HIS  BLOOD  AND 
SPIRIT.  Soon  thou  shalt  hear  His  voice  saying, 
"Come  home,  my  sheep,  come  home."  To  the 
world  destruction  cometh,  but  to  the  flock  the 
Shepherd  cometh.  Look  up. 

How  the  hilltops  sing  together, 
Angels  strike  their  harps  of  gold. 
Let  His  saints  all  shout  together, 
In  love  and  praise  and  joy  untold. 

Soon  He  comes  o'er  hills  immortal, 
Clad  in  garments  pure  and  white ; 
Soon  He  comes  to  take  His  pilgrims, 
There  to  reign  in  power  and  might. 


672 


MESSAGE  GIVEN  IN  THE  SPIRIT. 

(July  27,  1918.) 

Behold  the  day  of  great  darkness,  the  day  of 
gloominess,  of  mourning  and  weeping,  the  day  of 
wailing,  the  day  of  the  treading  of  the  wine  press 
is  upon  thee,  O  earth.  Hearken !  Hear  the  sound  of 
the  cannon,  the  voice  of  thunder  echoing  and 
reverberating  through  the  hills  and  the  mountains. 

Behold !  The  arm  of  Almighty  God  is  lain  bare. 
His  sword  is  glittering  and  glimmering  in  His  hand. 
O,  thou  earth,  filled  with  unbelief  and  scoffing,  if 
thine  ears  had  not  been  stopped  thou  wouldst  have 
heard  the  heavy  treading  of  His  feet,  the  falling  of 
His  footsteps. 

Judgment  follows  swiftly  in  His  wake.  He  will 
recompense,  He  will  repay,  He  will  judge.  Had 
thine  eyes  not  been  bound,  thou  wouldst  have  seen 
the  clouds  rolling  over  thy  lands,  black  and  filled 
with  the  lightnings  of  His  wrath.  -Ears  thou  hast 
had  but  Avould  not  hear.  Eyes  thou  hast  had  but 
would  not  see.  The  time  of  thy  tribulation  has 
come. 

Weep,  O  lands,  and  wring  thy  hands,  saith  the 
Lord.  Turn  unto  Me  with  repentance,  with  sack- 
cloth and  ashes;  but  thou  hath  said,  "We  will 
dance  and  make  merry,  we  will  sing  and  drain  the 
wine-cup  to  its  dregs/'  Too  long,  too  long  hast 
thou  sat  in  the  banqueting  house.  Thou  hast 
desecrated  the  holy  vessels  of  the  Lord.  Thou  hast 
used  My  house,  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  merry- 
making. Thou  hast  used  it  to  consume  it  upon 
thine  own  lusts.  Behold,  there  cometh  forth  a 
hand,  it  is  even  now  writing  upon  the  wall  of  thy 
lands.  Behold,  thou  art  weighed  in  the  balances 
and  found  wanting.  My  hands  have  been  out- 
stretched to  thee,  but  thou  hast  spurned  them,  thou 
hast  pushed  them  aside,  and  now  My  hands  are 
turned  against  thee.  Thy  judgment  cometh. 

673 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Behold,  limb  is  today  being  torn  from  limb, 
member  from  member,  blood  is  flowing  forth  in 
a  crimson  stream  and  encircling  the  whole  earth. 
Judgments  are  thundering  forth  their  voices  from 
ten  thousand  cannons. 

Ah !  fools,  hypocrites,  slothful  of  heart,  despisers 
who  wonder  and  perish.  Behold,  o'er  thy  head 
hangs  the  great  sword  suspended  by  a  single 
thread.  Judgment  is  begun. 

In  thy  midst  behold  the  great  wine  press.  His 
feet  are  treading  it.  Blood  is  issuing  forth,  yea, 
thou  hast  rejected  the  blood  of  Aty  Son  Jesus 
Christ.  Now  shalt  thy  blood  be  shed.  Rachel, 
Rachel  weeping  for  thy  children,  they  are  not. 
Behold  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh.  It  is  nigh  at 
hand. 

Beset  on  every  hand,  surrounded  on  every 
quarter,  threatened  from  every  side,  yet  His  people 
shall  never  be  ashamed.  Protected  by  His  hand 
they  shall  abide  in  the  day  of  His  wrath,  and  He 
shall  take  them  to  Himself  purified.  Not  a  hair 
of  their  heads  shall  be  destroyed,  neither  shall 
the  sandals  be  worn  out  upon  their  feet,  neither 
shall  spots  be  found  on  their  garments  nor  blood 
upon  their  hands.  Behold,  His  people  stand  in 
the  midst  of  a  perverse  generation,  but  they  are  a 
sign  post,  a  wonder  to  all  who  look  upon  them. 
They  are  a  puzzle  to  the  world,  but  to  Me  they 
are  all  fair. 

Open  up  thine  hearts,  for  He  will  cleanse.  He 
will  purge,  He  will  purify  His  temple,  He  will 
drive  out  all  that  which  is  unlike  Himself,  if  thou 
wilt  yield  to  Him.  Behold  that  which  has  been 
whispered  in  the  ears,  in  the  closet,  shall  be  made 
known  on  the  house-tops.  Open  up  thy  being  to 
the  Lord.  Open  up  the  door,  my  beloved,  and  He 
will  purge  His  threshing-floor.  He  will  iron  away 
all  thv  Avrinkles. 


674 


REIGN,  SILENCE,  REIGN. 
•    PROPHECY.    Nov.  22.  1918. 


Reign,  Silence,  reign ! 
Peace,  be  still! 

Hold  thy  peace,  thou  billows  of  the  sea ! 
Reign  for  a  space  of  time,  O  Silence ! 
Spread   thy   pinions,   one   o'er  the  land,   and   one 
o'er  the  sea. 

Hush!    Cease  thy  striving,  O  thou  four  winds  of 

the  Heaven. 

Be  still,  tempestuous  clouds! 
Enter  thy  sheath,  O  sword ! 
Be  silent,  thou  thundering  cannon ! 
For  the  Lord  would  speak  once  more  to  the  earth; 
Once  more  would  He  send  forth  the  cry : 

BEHOLD    THE    BRIDEGROOM    COMETH,    HE    IS    EVEN    AT 
THE  DOOR. 

Spring  forth,  ye  green  blades  of  the  grass,  upon 
the  meadows  and  the  hills.  Yea,  bloom  forth,  ye 
hills  and  valleys.  O  thou  hast  been  held  fast  in 
the  grip  of  War's  giant  clutch.  Bright,  crimson 
drops  of  blood  have  been  wrung  from  thy  sides 
and  have  flowed  forth  in  gory  streams. 

O,  ye  torn  and  devastated  forests,  be  healed  of 
thy  wounds  for  a  short  space;  for  the  Lord  would 
speak  His  final  word  of  warning  to  the  earth  before 
the  great  and  notable  day  of  the  Lord,  for  it  is 
near,  It  Is-Near. 

Hold  back  the  winds,  O  Angels,  for  a  little  mo- 
ment, ere  they  shall  burst  in  redoubled  fury  upon 
the  world  that  has  forgotten  Christ,  our  Redeemer, 
that  my  children  may  cry  aloud — that  they  may 
lift  up  their  voices  and  spare  not,  that  they  may 
proclaim,  for  a  little  moment,  "the  coming  of  the 
Lord." 

675 


THIS  IS  THAT 

Awake!     AAvake!!     O  ye  children  of  the  most 

High  God,  for  in  My  hands  I  am  holding  back  the 
wrath  and  the  indignation,  the  wars  and 
the  pestilences,  the  plagues,  the  earth- 
quakes and  the  suffering,  and  the  fiery 

indignation  that  shall  soon  envelop  all  those  who 

have  forgotten  God. 

"PEACE/'  do  they  cry? 

Lo,  there  is  no  peace  outside  of  Him  who  is  the 
Prince  of  Peace. 

"PEACE,"  do  they  cry? 

But  the  cries  of  peace  shall  fall  upon  their  heads. 

Today  is  the  day  of  salvation. 

Proclaim  ye  the  Word. 

Yea,  declare  it  from  the  early  morning,  even  unto 

the  setting  of  the  sun. 
Yea,  hold  not  thy  peace. 


PROCLAIM 

THE  WORD 


Cry  aloud  in  the  night  watches. 


Warn  the  people,  warn  the  people. 
Let  the  message  ring  forth  o'er  the  land. 
Let  it  echo  through  the  hills. 
Let  it  resound  in  the  valleys, 
For  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand. 
The  deliverance  of  His  people  hath  come. 

But, sorrow  shall  fall  upon  the  heads  of  those  who 

have  forgotten  God. 

As  the  avalanche  sweeps  down  the  mountain  side. 
Hear  the  roaring  of  His  voice? 
'Tis  the  Lord,  who  is  uttering  His  voice  before  His 

army. 

He  is  leading  them  forth  in  triumph, 
Their's  is  the  crown  of  glory; 
Their's  is  the  victory, 
Through  Him  who  has  overcome, 
Subdued  His  enemies, 
And  who  shall  reign  forevermore. 

676 


REIGN,  SILENCE,,  REIGN 

Make  haste !    Make  haste !    My  little  ones. 
Make  haste!     There  is  no  time  to  spare. 
For  behold,  I  am  coming  soon, 
To  meet  you  in  the  air. 

Lift  up  thy  voice,  My  Love,  My  Choice, 
Unto  Me  thy  praises  bring. 
Rejoice,  My  Love,  rejoice, 
In  the  praises  of  your  King. 

O,  SEND  FORTH  THE  MESSAGE. 

Shout  it  from  the  housetops, 

Proclaim  it  from  the  steeples, 

Declare  it  in  the  tabernacles, 

Proclaim  it  in  the  highways  and  the  hedges, 

In  the  streets  and  the  lanes, 

In  the  city  marts,  aiid  in  the  desert  lone. 

Reign,  Silence,  reign,  a  little  space,  'till  My  chil- 
dren shall  send  forth  the  last,  final  call,  for  I  am 
coming  soon.  Amen. 


677 


LOVE'S  PINIONS  AND  THE  CHURCH 
TRIUMPHANT. 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  January  7,  1919. 

Out  of  the  verdant  fields  it  came,  and  soared  aloft, 
Above  the  trees,  all  laden  with  their  fruitage  rich 

and  rare. 

On  milky,  snow-white  pinions  did  it  soar — 
This  dove,  so  gentle  and  so  pure- 
Its  wings  spread  wide,  its  pinions  long; 
Higher  and  higher  did  it  rise, 
Until  it  sailed  "midst  clouds  and  sunlit  skies. 
His  people,  His  people  are  as  the  dove— 
The  pinions  upon  which  they  fly  are  Love. 
But  now,  brought  IOAV,  O  Dove, 
Thy  pinions  clipped;  thy  wing- feathers  plucked;    ; 
Thy  love  destroyed  and  lost;  how  canst  thou  fly 

aloft,  as  in  the  days  of  yore? 
I  saw  the  dove  brought  low — buffeted — thrust  at, 
Unable  to  escape  the  prodding  stick 
Of  error  and  false  doctrine 
With    which    inquisitive,    experimenting    children 

tortured  it  in  passing. 

But  behold,  the  feathers  have  again  begun  to  grow ; 
Her  pinions  Spring  in  snowy  whiteness  forth- 
Stronger  than  before. 
Love  and  praise  shall  cause  thee  to  arise, 
And  soar  into  the  very  skies,  My  Love. 
Let  not  thy  wings  be  clipped  away, 
For  I  am  coming  soon,  at  Break  of  Day. 
How  canst  thou  rise  to  meet  Me  in  the  air. 
If  thy  pinions  are  destroyed,  O  Love  most  fair? 

The  Lord,  in  the  midst  of  His  people,  seeks  to  do  a  new 
work,  to  reveal  Himself  in  might  and  in  power.  Let,  there- 
fore, thy  love  abound.  Love  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  Little  children,  love  one  another — 
then  shall  thy  wings  be  spread  wide,  and  thou  shalt  be  lifted 
up  above  the  petty  things  of  earth,  and  thou  shalt  see  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  and  soar  through  the  vast  expanse  of 
Heaven  into  His  very  Presence.  Selah! 

678 


THE  BRIDEGROOM  AND  THE  BRIDE. 

PROPHECY. 

Great,  Eternal  Love  of  God, 

Who  shall  measure  thee? 
Divine,  Omnipotent,  Glorious  Love  of  God, 

Who  shall  fathom  thee? 

We  descend  into  the  depths  of  the  sea,  and  ask, 

"Is  God's  Love  here?"  The  creatures  of  the 
deep  all  cry  aloud  and  say,  "Great,  great,  great 
Love  of  God,  it  watches  over  me." 

Behold,  we  ascend  into  the  heavens,  where  the 
birds  with  outstretched  pinions  sail  through  the 
azure  blue.  We  ask,  "Is  Thy  Love  here?"  They 
cry  aloud,  "Yea,  yea,  yea,  His  love  upholdeth  me." 

We  climb  on  into  the  heights  of  the  ethereal 
canopy  of  heaven,  and  exclaim: 

"Surely,  His  Love  hath  not  mounted  to  such 
heights."  But  the  stars  burst  forth  into  singing 
in  their  glory,  together,  and  assure  us,  "Yea,  Yrea. 
It  is  His  great  Love  that  upholds  us  and  causeth 
us  to  shine  and  reflect  His  glory." 

Then  down  and  on,  far  into  the  silent  wastes  of 
the  desert  we  tread,  and  our  hearts  cry : 

"Great  Love  of  God,  surely  it  hath  not  reached 
this  barren  land."  But  the  sands  cry  aloud,  "Yea, 
Yea,  He  is  here  with  His  Love  outpoured,  and 
His  Love  shall  cause  the  desert  to  bloom  as  a  rose ; 
there  shall  be  pools  in  the  wilderness  and  floods  in 
the  dry  lands." 

O  boundless  Love  of  Thine,  Eternal  God  e'en 
though  the  story  be  told  through  fathomless, 
eternal  years,  'twill  yet  be  all  untold.  Thy  pinions, 
and  outspread  wings  reach  to  the  ends  of  the  eartV 
Thou  dost  brood  over  it  as  a  hen  upon  her  nest. 
Thy  golden  streams  of  love  flow  down  upon  us 

679 


THIS  IS  THAT 

from  every  feather.    Thy  people  are  protected  from 
the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  from  the  ragings  of 
storm  'neath  the  shadow  of  Thy  wings,  forever  and 
forever. 

With  outstretched  hand  hath  He  led  His  people 

forth, 

Through  parted  floods,  dry-shod ; 
Their  enemies  hath  He  consumed  before  their  eyes. 
Manna  did  He  pour  out  from  heaven  upon  them, 

Fresh  every  morning. 
Unto  a  large  land  did  He  lead  His  hosts. 
Unto  a  land  which  flows  with  milk  and  honey— 
A  land  of  pomegranates  and  vintage  of  the  vine — 
A  land  of  grapes,  precious  fruitage, 

Did  He  lead  His  people  forth. 

Glorious  has  been  their  portion, 

Righteousness  and  Peace  has  been  their  garment. 

Surely  His  people  shall  rejoice  in  Him, 

And  shall  exalt  His  name  forever. 

Fair  is  He,  as  the  morning  dawn, 
Bright  is  He,  as  the  noonday  sun, 
tiweet  is  He,  as  honey  in  the  comb, 
This  Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  Glory. 

Tender  is  He,  as  the  Mother  that  holds  her  babe, 
Strong  is  He,  as   the  mountains   that   guard   thy 

coasts. 
Mighty  is  He,  as  the  sea  whose  billows  break  upon 

thy  shores, 
Glorious  is  He,  this  King  of  kings — the  Lord  of 

Hosts. 

He  it  is  who  led  His  people  forth  with  singing, 
He  is  the  Captain  of  the  King's  Hosts. 
His  people  shall  follow  after  Him, 
And  His  troops  shall  shout  His  praises. 

680 


THE  BRIDEGROOM  AND  THE  BRIDE 

Hark !  Hark !  He  is  speaking  unto  His  peopler 

saying,    "Dost    thou    behold    this    narrow    stream 

shining    in    the    sunlight    and    lift- 

THE  STREAM     iiig    up    thine    eyes    dost    thou    be- 

AND  hold    the    great,    sweeping    expanse 

THE  OCEAN       of  the  mighty  ocean?     Thy  present 

borders     are     but    as     the    narrow 

stream,  but  if  thou  Avilt  follow  me  I  will  enlarge 

thy  borders;  grace  and  power  and  glory  shall  be 

multiplied  unto  thee,   and  as  the  ocean   is  more 

mighty  than  the  stream,  so  shall  thy  latter  glory 

be  greater  than  thy  former. " 

"Dost  thou  behold  yonder  sapling  of  the  oak? 

and  have  you  considered  the  mighty  parent  oak, 

rising  in   lofty   maturity   far  above 

THE  SAPLING     it?    My  children  are  at  present  but 

AND  as    the    sapling    nourished    by    the 

THE  OAK.        former   and   the   early   latter   rain; 

but  O!  if  they  would  lift  up  their 

heads  and  open  wide  their  mouths,  to  receive  the 

latter  rain  in  its  abundance,  they  should  be  made 

to  grow  up  and  up  until  their  branches  should  rise 

above  every  hindrance,  and  tower  in  regal  authority 

over  every  obstacle.     The  fowls  of  the  air  should 

nestle  amongst  its  branches,  and  the  herds  should 

lie    down    in    great    delight    beneath    the    shadow 

thereof." 

"Dost  thou  behold  the  babe,  taking  its  first  steps, 

upheld  by  its  mother's  hand?     Hast  thou  beheld 

the  mighty  giant  striding  across  the 

THE  BABE         field,    upon    whose    broad    shoulders 

AND  the    heaviest    burden    seems    but    a 

THE  GIANT,     feather's  weight? 

The  Body  is  today  as  that  of  a 
little  child  beginning  to  take  its  first  steps  forward 
into  the  strength  and  life  of  the  Spirit-controlled 
realm.  But  if  my  people  will  but  look  unto  Me, 
and  lean  no  more  on  the  maternal  arm  of  human 
flesh,  I  will  cause  them  to  tower  as  a  giant;  they 

681 


THIS  IS  THAT 

shall  move  forward  in  conquering  strides;  their 
reproach  shall  be  taken  away  from  before  the 
heathen,  they  shall  no  more  ask,  "Where  is  thy 
God?"  but  shall  say,  "We  have  seen  His  light  from 
afar  off/7  Then  shall  the  Lord  take  His  Church 
unto  Himself,  mighty,  strong,  conquering,  and  all- 
glorious. 

The  night  with  its  shadows  is  fleeing  away;  the 
sun  is  rising  in  splendor  o'er  the  eternal  hills,  tho 
day  is  breaking;  the  tidal  waves  of  blessing  are 
rolling  in ;  the  shoAvers  of  blessing  shall  come  down 
in  torrents,  for  behold,  midst  sunshine  and  rain 
the  glory  of  God  is  rising  and  bursting  upon  His 
people.  They  shall  show  forth  mighty  signs  and 
wonders  through  His  Spirit's  power. 

Rejoice,  O  thou  Bride  of  the  Bridegroom ; 
Be  glad,  O  virgins  clothed  in  white; 
Rejoice,  rejoice,  and  dry  those  tears; 
For  the  long,  long  night  is  at  an  end. 

See!  the  light  of  an  eternal  dawn  is  breaking, 
The  Sun  of  Righteousness  is  rising  with  healing 

in  His  wings. 
Yea,  the  Sun  is  rising,  even  the  Sun  that  shall 

never  set; 
The  light  is  breaking,  the  light  that  shall  never 

fade  away. 

Hark!  the  trumpet  is  resounding  and  echoing 
through  the  holy  mountain  of  the  Lord. 

The  bugle!  canst  thou  not  hear  its  clear,  swift 
voice  coming  o'er  the  billows? 

'Tis  echoing  down  from  the  land  where  tears  never 
flow. 

Stand,  therefore,  clad  in  the  robes  of  love,  truth, 

and  praise,  thy  sandals  upon  thy  feet. 
Let  thy  veil  of  separation  be  upon  thy  face. 
The  Lord  cometh  quickly  for  His  beloved.    . 

682 


THE  BRIDEGROOM  AND  THE  BRIDE 

Thy  veiled  face  is  but  as  a  hidden  and  foolish  mys- 
tery to  the  world, 

But  to  Me  thy  face  is  fair  and  comely,  O  chosen 
one. 

Those  that  love  not  Me  nor  thee  have  cast  thy 
name  out  as  evil, 

But  I  have  called  thee  by  My  New  Name,  and  thou 
art  Mine. 

I  have  engraven  thy  name  upon  the  palms  of  My 

hands. 

I  have  entwined  thee  in  the  cords  of  My  heart. 
The  golden   chains  upon   thy  neck,   and  thy   fair 

jewels,  adorn  thee,  My  beloved. 

Thy  rubies  are  as  drops  of  blood,  My  blood  that 

was  shed  for  thee; 
Thy  pearls — as  tear-drops  shed  by  one  who  walked 

with  Me  and  fellowshipped  My  sufferings; 
Thy  diamonds  are  priceless  souls  which  thou  hast 

won  for  Me. 

Thy  heart  shall  be  filled  with  righteousness,  thy 

face  with  joy, 
For  thine  eyes  have  caught  the  earliest  rays  of 

dawn. 
I  am  coming,  little  child ren,  I  am  coming  in  the 

morn. 

0  Balm  of  Gilead,  Who  art  Thouf 

Thou  art  the  Prince  of  a  mighty  host  that  leadeth 

His  people  and  healeth  them  from  all  their 

sorrow. 

O  thou  mighty  Victor,  who  cometh  with  conquer- 
ing tread,  and  laden  with  the  trophies  of 
Avar,  Who  art  Thouf 

Thou  art  our  Bridegroom,  the  King  of  Right- 
eousness. 

683 


THIS  IS  THAT 

O  thou  Ray  of  Glory,  that  shineth  down  -twixt 
parted  clouds,  piercing  the  darkness  of  sin's 
night,  and  dispelling  the  gloom  of  sorrow, 
Who  art  Thou? 

Thou  art  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  the  Lord  of 
Glory  is  Thy  Name. 

O!  radiant  Path,  that  leads  from  earth  to  heaven, 
O  glorious  Way,  that  leads  from  darkness 
into  light,  Who  art  Thou? 

Thou  art  Jesus,  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life, 
and  beside  Thee  there  is  none  other. 

O  Door,  swung  wide  upon  Thy  hinges,  through 
Whose  portals  are  revealed  blest,  sparkling 
streams  and  fragrant  meadows,  Who  art 
Thou? 

Thou  art  the  Door,  by  which,  if  any  man  shall 
enter  in,  he  shall  go  in  and  out,  and  shall 
find  pasture. 

O  thou  Ltiy  of  the  Valley,  thou  Rose  of  Sharon. 
thou  Bright  and  Morning  Star,  thou  Fairest 
of  Ten  Thousand  to  the  souls  of  Thy  peo- 
ple, Thou  art  surely  our  Jesus,  the  King  in 
royal  garments,  the  Lamb  slain  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 

And  thou,  who  comest  up  out  of  the  wilderness, 
leaning  upon  the  arm  of  thy  Beloved,  thou. 
upon  whom  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun 
are  falling  in  transforming  glory,  Who  art 
Thou? 

Thou  art  the  Church,  the  chosen  bride  of  the  Lamb, 
the  Body  of  overcomers,  the  tested,  tried 
people  who  have  passed  through  the  waters 
and  walked  through  the  fire.  Thou  art  the 
espoused  wife  of  thy  Beloved,  the  Son  of  the 
Living  God. 

684 


THE  BRIDEGROOM  AND  THE  BRIDE 

What  are  these  white  robes  that  clothe  thee,  and 

that  shine  with  righteousness? 
These   are   the   robes   of   His   righteousness,    with 

which  He  didst  clothe  us  in  the  day  of  oui; 

nakedness. 

A Vha t  are  these  shoes  that  adorn  thy  feet,  studded 
with  precious  jewels  and  bound  with  lac- 
ings of  Love? 

These  are  the  shoes  of  Salvation,  with  which  He 
hath  shod  His  people  whom  He  leadeth 
forth. 

Her  garments  are  embroidered  with  the  fine  needle 
work,  and  each  stitch  is  worked  in  gold, 
the  victor's  crown  of  righteousness  shall  be 
placed  upon  her  head,  and  she  shall  reign 
with  the  King  upon  His  throne. 

0  come,   come,  my  beloved,  the  time  is  short,   I 

long  to  lead  you  quickly  forth  to  greater 

power  and  victory. 

ijuicken  thy  step,  O  church  of  the  Living  God. 
Press  closer  to  Me.     Lean  hard  upon  Mine  arm. 

1  will  lead  thee  forth  to  the  more  excellent  glory; 
Thus  shall  we  hasten  on  to  the  end  of  the  way, 
Till,  with  My  hand  I  shall  sweep  back  the  flaming 

curtains  of  eternal  dawn,  as  WE  pass 
through  the  portals  of  OUR  ETERNAL 
AND  VICTORIOUS  DAY.  AMEN. 


END  OF  BOOK. 


685 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 


AUTO.  DISC.  MAR     9  '87 

WR  2  7 1989 


.  »;4;-.--:-v- 


I O/U I 


GENERAL  LIBRARY  -  U.C.  BERKELEY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


